Non-story RAAC problem

[HowMuchMore2]

There are approx 22,000 schools in England and the schools that have had to close are around 100. In 2018 it was highlighted it could be a problem - nothing was done about it.

Why is it such a big story all of a sudden? 100 schools will have to ship in portakabins because part or all of their buildings are deemed unsafe.

Everyone is up in arms about it, it's such a non-story! Worked up by journalists at a slow news time.

There are way way bigger issues out there.

There’s another 8000 waiting for a survey…that’s the bigger issue. The universities, hospitals etc. the story is there was a programme to fix it, which was scrapped, then the govt was suddenly forced to act 2 days before schools opening. When they’ve known about it for ages.

The issue is this being announced just as schools are due to re-open, rather than say at the end of July.
No time to plan or put mitigations in place.

Plus of course the fact this should have been addressed ages ago.

I dont think it's a non story, its awful that the government have been well aware of the issue and have taken this long to attempt to conduct surveys etc (appreciate this was done earlier in the year) and let parents know a few days before the start of term. They knew in 2021 many buildings were unsafe and a collapse was likely, its not acceptable that they continued to put staff and pupils at risk; having it in the media and it not being swept under the rug is good as might mean they're more inclined to work to resolve this issue.

It will be a big story if buildings collapse with people in them. Very typical of politicians to pass the buck to the next lot or act after the worst happens. If there was a chance that their workplace collapsed then they'd be wfh. Online learning isn't an acceptable alternative to school.

DH assumed asbestos was no longer a live issue in schools. He proclaimed such, recently. I put him right.

It's a bit shocking that neither this concrete nor the asbestos have a planned action in place.

It's actually more like 500, but let's go with your 100:

100 schools have closed at 2 days notice, with possibly more to come and that's a non-story? Working parents having to take emergency leave, impacting productivity, teachers and management staff spending time and money frantically making alternative arrangements rather than prepping for the start of term.

Government declined to fund replacement of 100 dangerously crumbling school buildings, risking lives - non-story?

Well Essex has 600 schools and 40 are on the current list. Is that better for you?

The story is also that 100 school were dangerously unsafe but operating as normal. It’s sheer luck that they are still standing. Did someone make a decision that it was worth risking all those lives to save some money? I’d liked to know who ok’d that.

In itself it might be a small story. But it's actually a part of a much bigger problem - that school budgets have been cut year after year. I've been a school governor for years and to give you an idea, our small primary (around 500 pupils) used to have 100k maintenance budget every year. Last year it was 10k. So of course schools can't maintain their buildings with that sort of money!
So to answer your question, it's a huge story actually when you think about the full picture and context.

I'm certainly not a Tory supporter and this isn't about supporting the Government, yes they should have done something about it and not left it to the last minute.

But such a huge story because the parents in a 100 schools have to rearrange childcare? It's another opportunity for teachers to claim how hard done to they are. Sick of hearing it.

There are much much much bigger issues out there.

@HowMuchMore2 its a big story because it is a big deal.

The 100 schools closed are ones where raac has been identified. A significant number haven’t got as far as that. It was prompted (as far as I’ve gathered on here) by a the collapse of a column that had been identified and signed off as safe. This unstable material is also known to be in public spaces where members of society have no choice but to attend.

This is a material that has had a 30 yr life and this has been know for a long time. Improvement budgets specifically for schools have been cut with the knowledge that raac has a life of 30 yrs and many building are way over that.

crumbling public buildings are not news stories I generally associate with the UK personally.

It's not as simple as just get portakabins. They aren't cheap, not all schools have space to add the number they require, they can be too cold or too hot. Not all classes can be successfully delivered in a portakabin, PE, cookery, science etc. they are not an easy fix.

Exactly! I think it's actually mad that this isn't an even bigger story than it is tbh

It’s a big story because it’s yet another example of how incompetent this government are.

It's a big story because it's been known about for years - decades - and govts have kicked the can down the road until it becomes apparent they will be liable if someone is injured or killed and that there is some threshold where this is either now more likely (due to length of time) or less able to pass the buck when it does happen.

That time has now arrived and the govt have updated their guidance, which is now being acted on to the detriment of tons of kids that need to go to school.

Some stories just catch the wind all of a sudden. The same happened with things like MPs expenses.

If you're not sure why children's schools being dangerous is a story, particularly when the current prime minister halved the buildings budget despite being told to double it, and with this government having cancelled Labour's programme that would have replaced or refurbished every single school in the country - you don't understand politics much.

It's emblematic of the general fucking awful neglect of the public sector and direness of the country right now that kids have until now been going to structurally unsound schools full of asbestos and dodgy cement that could be crumbled onto their heads any moment.

There are much much much bigger issues out there.

Are there? How do you know about them?

This !!

The government have allowed schools to remain open as normal despite knowing the buildings were dangerous and at risk of collapse. It's literally just pure luck that the recent collapse of a school ceiling happened in the summer holidays and not on the heads of a classroom full of children.

Surely you can see that's outrageous?!

This.

And yes, the teachers are hard done by. Rectification to problems is supposed to somehow come from school budgets that are clawingly tight as it is.

Why is it such a big story all of a sudden? 100 schools will have to ship in portakabins because part or all of their buildings are deemed unsafe.

Yeah that's not happening anytime soon. Portakabins to replace classrooms in 100+ schools don't materialise overnight

Did someone make a decision that it was worth risking all those lives to save some money? I’d liked to know who ok’d that.

Rushi Sunak reduced the number of schools being repaired/rebuilt, from 100 per year to 50 per year in 2021. The education department had asked for 200 a year to be fixed!

He’s been on tele this morning saying he actually gave more money for school building BUT he’s deliberately did not state that most of this money went to bills new Free Schools, not to repair/rebuild dangerous schools which must now close.

Can you imagine the headlines if (god forbid) a school hall collapsed on an assembly of pupils, potentially exposing them to asbestos into the bargain?

Here you go OP, I've made it newsworthy for you:

Taylor Swift HITS OUT at FAKE concrete used for facility for CHILDREN and SLAMS head of structural engineer institute who is ex school mate of DARREN DAY. TEXTS between experts for DECADES reveal ALL.