Gillian Keegan: how’s the ‘hot mic’ thing gone down with you?

[Crinklycut]

For my part, I don’t think it was very ministerial, and I do wonder how No. 10 all talk to each other these days (do they just swear all the time?) BUT she is a bit right, isn’t she?

The DfE have finally acted to make the public aware that their children are not safe in school. That’s more than anyone else in the Conservative party has done since they cancelled ‘Building Schools for the Future’ in 2010 and during their 13 years of government.

So how’s it gone down with you?

That sounds like you're suggesting heads are not experts in types of concrete 🤔

The Prime Minister is pleased to tell you that each school in England will be rebuilt or significantly refurbished in the next 300 years.

(There are 15000 schools in England, he is excited to tell us that 50 a year will be done).

Basically it gave the govt the opportunity to say they'd taken action (sent an inappropriately directed survey) and then do nothing further (oh the heads haven't replied, how lazy they are).

Keegan did say this morning that the number of surveyors the department will employ will be increased by over 100%.

(from 3 to 8).

The guidance given to heads to see whether their school had RAAC literally told headteachers to tap walls with a hammer to see if they were RAAC, but be careful not to damage them as they may contain asbestos.

I mean, what a fucking joke.

She absolutely knew this would be made public. She still had her mic on. It almost looks as though she goes to remove it, stops herself, and then makes her little speech.

Probably setting herself up as the "plain speaker" (in the style of Nigel Farage) who just wants to "get things done" etc etc. Letters of no confidence are starting to go in re Rishi. Wouldn't surprise me if she is looking at throwing herself into the ring.

She's daft enough to try. Everyone outside lala-toryland knows it's a poisoned chalice with them being trounced at the next election.

No they couldn't because they simply do not care, just like Grenfell and cladding, sat on their hands, of course had it been a private school that burnt down, every private school in the land would have been rebuilt within the year... at tax payers expense.

How the fuck does a 'Head know where raac has been used? these things are hidden, often at height, they also wouldn't have a clue if safe or not...

Be in no doubt.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakanal_House_fire

I was reminded of the line by the character Malcolm Tucker “none of this should be happening, SHOULD it?”

What a great job she did - despite knowing about it in June she left it until 2 days before schools go back to act.
She left it to teachers to assess if there was RAAC!!!!!! (how many teachers know about types of concrete?) So safe. Not.
She left it to teachers to deal with getting replacement classrooms and disgruntled parents.
Super duper.

Erm why hasn't anyone mentioned the Bylines story in which a whistleblower states that Gillian literally said she wanted to keep a lid on the problem until Labour were the ones who'd have to sort it?

Exactly over 30 years - of deaf ears because any government doesn’t really care about education they just want to ‘handle’ the teacher, parents and schools.

I don’t see why Headteachers have been ‘sat’ on their arses or governors have being ‘doing nothing ‘ when they have been complaining to the DfE for 30 years or longer about the state of their buildings. Successive governments have done nothing.

I remember working in a school 10 years ago where we had no departmental budget, could not buy equipment, absolutely appalling behaviour and the new headteacher telling me it was a vocation and I wasn’t in it for the money, ie a salary and it was my moral expectation to teach and be resourceful with no money - not a bean.
I was continually told behaviour was ‘my fault’ we all needed to engage them more in learning and be consistent. I had never had less than an outstanding lesson observation. On my final day in a state school, I was sworn at 6 times and called fucking bitch, etc etc and then a year 10 pulled his trousers down and threaten to piss all. After 20 years, of parental complaints and awful behaviour I walked into an indie school where they wanted me with open arms.

Just gone back to a bottle of wine and flowers on my desk. A gift of a weather station from a parent (I had discussed with her daughter how we could record the weather all over the school etc and build a weather device). Parental meetings are common but not complaints. Have 10 of less in a class. It’s just lovely. I will never work in a state school again. I’m sure teaching deliberately in ‘difficult schools’, made me ill and gave me ptsd.

This headteacher put a bid on for money to rebuild his school last year. His bid was turned down because other schools were in a worse state.

His school is now closed.

So what the fuck state are the other schools in??

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-66710706

That's way Labour were investing massively in the Building for the Future programme. Which the Tories pulled.
So buildings which were just about safe then have had 13 years to deteriorate further.

Do you have a link?

What has prompted the u-turn?

Yup, here we are

x.com/bylineseast/status/1698743790524113398?s=46&t=vLXnmcQ4WRJlG6Z45yCbzg

Just because every other Ed sec for the past 13 years has sat on their arse and done nothing doesn’t mean you’ve done a fucking good job, does it. Relatively speaking, maybe. But in absolute terms perhaps you haven’t been totally shit.

I’d have thought that making sure schools didn’t fall down and injure children was sort of a bare minimum level of competence tbh.

Thanks, @JanglyBeads

Just wang a few f bombs in there and it does sound very much like the kind of thing she would say.

https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/keegan-keeps-the-lid-on-raac/

I never cease to be impressed by how informed mn is about everything.

Of course she isn’t right, and it was staged.

But I do wonder what impending disaster managed to get her to come back from holiday and make an intervention.

Was it brave civil servants?

I am impressed that Keegan has enough awareness to realise that she won't be in government after the next election.

This is a great article. Serious investigative journalism. I hope it gets the coverage it deserves.

https://eastangliabylines.co.uk/keegan-keeps-the-lid-on-raac/

It makes you wonder what actually happened last Wednesday/Thursday to make them finally be forced to fess up? Were they in court trying to suppress the news and lost? Can you try to get super injunctions about things like this?!

I’ve just seen on Twitter…

Rumours abound that Gillian Keegan will resign tomorrow, but it is just rumours, nothing concrete.

😂

I hate all Tories with a passion-but I actually hate her a little less this evening.

I think it’s it’s interesting he comments about the DFE not being joined up. Did he actually think it was? It’s just a load of ministerial puppets working in silos to deliver the latest political fad.

People can talk about Labour/ conservatives until the cows come home, but the biggest problem is that education is too political which leads to instability and short termism.