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?

Not long ago, there was a motion in parliament to reveal the names of schools that were unsafe, and the Tories voted to not reveal the names of the schools.

Is this the same issue or is RAAC a separate concern?

She was probably tired after being up all night trying to think of who to blame other than herself and her Department.

Honestly, why does she think the LAs/MATs haven't kept on top of building maintenance - because her bloody department starved them of funds. Most schools barely have the money to replace a broken toilet seat.

And it terms of her dropping f-bomb I couldn’t give a fuck frankly.

I just want my kids school to not fall down and to be open.

Actually I thought it was hilarious, she's only human like the rest of us and let's face it, she was only saying what most of us are thinking anyway. 🤔
It must be hugely frustrating being in her position and not having a decisive strong leader having your back .😐

People assume she was moaning about Rishi when she said she was actually moaning about headteachers.

She chose to be in that position, and its not really a surprise that Suank is weak is it?

Different issue. It was the 2019 conditions of schools data - electrics, drainage, roofs, loads of other issues.

They released summary data but said they'd release the full dataset by the summer holiday just gone. Which they haven't.

let's face it, she was only saying what most of us are thinking anyway.

She was bitching that Head teachers weren’t doing enough about the crumbling buildings.

That’s not what most people are thinking.

That's even worse.

Not very ministerial. She certainly does not think the buck stops with her. She has lost my respect (not that I heard of her before this).

I have no problem with the swearing, I just don't understand why she expects gratitude for doing her job. Preventing children being killed by falling concrete is pretty much the least we should expect from an education secretary.

I suspect this could apply to pretty much anything that is falling apart ie the whole country

Really? Tipped her over the edge, for me.

I’m sorry but I refuse to see this lot as heroes carrying out some half baked panick stricken knee jerk reaction to a problem that they’ve known about for years and is partly of their own making.

they are only doing something now because I collapse happened week before last. They have been told time and time again about this problem. And not acted.

I do, however, think Sky were very naughty to let that go out. She clearly thought she was off air. I doubt they’ll be getting many ministerial interviews from now on. Because that looked like a hijack to me.

She is so bad at her job. She knows nothing about education, is politically meddling in results, is highly uninformed, no dfe guidance yet on trans but she's shocking on safeguarding too.

I never thought I'd say this but I think Gav was better! And he was a bumbling idiot who couldn't speak properly.

Yes, exactly. The academies and LAs could have organised that, but not all of them did…

Is she really so deluded as to believe teachers and Headteachers should thank her? For what? Deliberately putting kids at risk in unsafe buildings?

A ceiling in a school collapsed in 2018. So who hasn't got off their arse and done anything about it?

Sec States for Education in that time:

Damian Hinds
Gavin Williams
Nadhim Zahawi
Michele Donelan (lol)
James Cleverly
Kit Malthouse
Gillian Keegan

Chancellors in that time (we know the tight-fisted Treasury is an issue)

Philip Hammond
Sajid Javid
Rishi Sunak
Nadhim Zahawi
Kwasi Kwarteng
Jeremy Hunt

In 5 years. That's fucking ridiculous turnover. No wonder no one got off their arses to do anything, it had barely hit the seat before they were gone.

She came across as wanting a medal for doing her job. Millions of us earn considerably less than her, have far worse working conditions and work much harder, yet we don't expect a standing ovation for dealing with the tricky issues.

With what money?

You know that schools don't have any money, right? The instructions were to go around the school with a hammer and tap stuff that looked dodgy, while trying not to disturb the asbestos.

That's why if a head returned a survey saying 'I think so', the DfE organised surveyors.

@Teateaandmoretea
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.

^This with bells on!

Perhaps fewer fads would = more money. Every new fad seems to require reinventing the wheel, which is exhausting for teachers and expensive for schools.

She came across as wanting a medal for doing her job.

This.

Or rather, she came across as wanting a medal for not even having done her job.

Again, the onus was on LAs and academies to identify and report. Not LA schools. Budgets should have been planned for.

What! I thought it was the same thing. Guess she wasn’t wrong when she claimed schools fall down for other reasons on that interview.

Again, the onus was on LAs and academies to identify and report.

Yes, which is fucking stupid. A headteacher going round with a hammer? Come on.

The DfE had a report that said it was highly likely that schools would collapse with risk of death and injury to children, and the response was to say 'let's send out a questionnaire'.