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

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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?

She's been in politics for years, she is definitely experienced enough to know that that mic was still on. It was entirely deliberate imo.

Well the concrete was used in the 1950s onwards - so I can understand the anger at it being 'her' fault when 80 years of Gov and local Gov ignoring lands in her lap.

But she's not doing a good job is she? None of them are. The country is failing and everyone is mad but we seem to be taking it out on each other rather than the people that are causing it.

No she’s not right. She’s up herself, has a superiority complex, comes across as not nice, clueless, no reflection or acceptance or accountability. She is a vile Tory cunt. She epitomises their breathless arrogance.

Except saying that it is a head’s job to do this is like saying if it was a concern at 10 Downing Street Rishi should be sent round with a hammer (or screwdriver, that part’s not important).

I mean what has she done a “good job” on? I do agree she personally isn’t responsible for RAAC, or even for sorting it out as I believe she’s only been in that post for a few months (though long enough to have made a start surely on something which is life threatening to kids). But the Tory govt have known about it for years and done fuck all.

but in previous jobs where has she done a “good job”. I saw her getting asked about the £35 million office refurb and she was smirking, hair tossing and saying it was nothing to do with her, she knows they’ve been refurbing offices but that’s all she knows. washing her hands of it.

no acceptance or apology that it looks really fucking shit in a cost of living crisis when schools are falling apart (even ignoring the raac issue) and struggling with budgets. She seemed to think it was amusing.

I’d just follow that document. HT are generally responsible people, if I wasn’t sure then use the instructions to book someone

There was a HT saying they found it hard on tv according to a post, but if they felt at a loss the next step is there

Would you find that document hard to follow?

Not sure when exactly it was sent out

Sorry this is tangentially related but an education expert is doing a Q&A on the concrete situation later today and anyone can submit questions, might be useful for those worrying about their schools https://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/raac-concrete-schools-questions-expert-b2404614.html

It's not 80 years... the material wasn't known to be life limited until it had been being used for 30 years.

You’re right, headteachers are generally responsible people. Which means I’d imagine a lot of the difficulty comes from ‘what if I get this thing wrong that I’m in no way an expert in?’ and the second guessing that entails.

The dfe have - yet again - chosen to abdicate responsibility to individual schools. It’s exhausting.

Not sure when exactly it was sent out

The date is on it. First issue of guidance 22-12-14

When the questionnaire was sent out 9 months previously.

I'd be nervous following that document in good faith and missing something and being held liable or a child got hurt because I missed something and live with that.

First issue of guidance 22-12-14

I thought it might be summer holidays in which case I can see a time lag issue if people were not there

But that’s a while ago. Some schools would have acted on it earlier than others but others waited, not sure why

If I got that and wasn’t sure I’d go to book someone section.

That not true. It WAS known about although not quite as life-threatening as it is now and a school refurbishment program was put in place by LParty. This was cut in 2010.

Gillian says that schools are responsible for their safety, not the DfE.

If a headteacher has assessed that his school isn't fit for purpose, needs rebuilding and bids for the appropriate funds from the DfE who say 'no', because the Treasury said 'no' to their request for funds to rebuild schools and the school then ends up closed because it might fall on someone's head, who is ultimately responsible?

She hasn’t done a “good job”. She’s useless.

same as the rest of the cabinet.

With what money?

Any HT posting?

How much was it to get someone

It is good to see that you have a thorough grasp of schools, their budgets and what headteachers do.

While we are on the subject of school budgets, shall we discuss the 43% increase in employer pension contributions that the government imposed in 2019. The government did not fund this increase and the money taken from schools in this way goes into exactly the same pot as any other tax.

She’s a bit thick tbh, and clearly doesn’t make up for it with charm.

The government are trying to blame the schools for not managing their budgets properly, which has two major flaws. The budgets are not sufficient to run the schools, so heads are always robbing Peter to pay Paul. The second flaw is that government are responsible for new buildings but schools for maintenance. Some of these structures are way past their intended life spans so should be rebuilt out of government funds.

The Tories have really scrimped on education and health, despite claiming them to be priorities. One does have to wonder whether these are two areas that they personally don’t care about, as they don’t use (although with the NHS, when they need an ICU, they may be surprised) and nor do their donors.

Good to see people getting defensive with this type of post

Would you find the document hard to follow, why?

I’m not a surveyor and nor are HT but reading it is pretty straightforward, or do people find it hard

Because you don't seem to think that headteachers have a full time job running a school and have plenty of time to be donning a hard hat and hitting stuff with a hammer (while trying not to disturb the asbestos).

This is just another case of the govt offloading stuff onto headteachers. Like when it asked them to set up covid testing centres over the Christmas holidays (then closed schools anyway).

I'm surprised we have any headteachers left.

Given that you managed to miss the date and the fact that it was changed last week to remove the reference to tapping walls with a hammer, I’m not sure you are in a position to comment on how hard others find it to read.

I dont find the document difficult to understand. (Not a head)

I would find the reality difficult to carry out as large parts of the building are obscured or inaccessible and there are multiple areas of asbestos covering unknown surfaces. Its one thing saying a panel looks like this, but it doesnt really help if somone put plasterboard over it 20 years previous and there isnt actually access to the roof space.

And yes 'employ an expert' is another easy to say but hard to happen thing, because budgets are so tight, so by the time you get the guidance you have to plan it into the next budget round to pay for it.