Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

Education

Join the discussion on our Education forum.

Flip

Original poster

Keegan says some kids prefer portacabins

22 replies

Worriedmun · 19/09/2023 21:35

Just how bloody offensive. I'm sure they won't be loving it when it's minus 5 in winter and they are freezing. What a useless piece of work. I have two children at a school that has RAAC. Half the school is unusable and will probably need to be knocked down and my DD only went back to school yesterday, and is in a rota of other years, one week in one week out. That was her first day in school since mid July. She has been good at home schooling but it's lonely and isolating and she missed her friends and teachers.My DS is doing his GCSEs and thank god he is in as they have prioritised exam years. The school are being messed around by the DofE and promised portacabins which aren't looking like they will appear til mid October. The teachers are doing their best but it must be so hard for them. Just rubbish. This government is incompetent and a bunch of useless chancers and can't wait for them to be kicked out.

OP posts:

Insommmmnia · 19/09/2023 21:39

We had about 30 portacabins when I was in secondary school (a listed building that took years to get planning permission to add onto) and I can guarantee that as soon as they are having to queue up outside in the rain waiting to go in they will absolutely hate them. Or when it's raining so heavily they can barely hear the teacher. Or when it's cold, or hot etc etc

Poor fucking kids

Original poster

Worriedmun · 19/09/2023 21:44

Yes we had loads in the 80s and 90s and can’t remember them being a pleasant experience. But better than home schooling. My DD has dead looking eyes after a wee by herself in her room, I was WFH and there was only so many times I could take breaks and see if she was okay. She willl be doing this at least til mid October

OP posts:

Shinyandnew1 · 19/09/2023 21:47

Gillian Keegan is a bloody disgrace and doesn’t give a shit about children, teachers or parents.

We had demountable a in the 80s/90s-they were freezing, stank, had foxes living underneath them and leaked in the rain. Just the nurturing environment we want our kids to be in…

Original poster

Worriedmun · 19/09/2023 21:53

Who is this woman, she doesn’t seem to have a clue, very flippant and also her effing and blinding not a good role model for kids who are in her realm of responsibility. Hope she gets booted out. The DofE have made loads of promises and not delivered at our school, who want to move quickly to get the kids back in so have paid for surveys etc itself rather than wait for the DofE.

OP posts:

Original poster

Worriedmun · 19/09/2023 21:54

Worriedmun · 19/09/2023 21:44

Week not Wee obviously 🙈

OP posts:

NoTouch · 19/09/2023 22:00

I was in a portacabin at school for 2 years and it wasn't and issue, then my first job was in a portacabin while the office block was being built.

Both of them I don't remember being any issue as they were well kitted out. The only issue was going to another building to use the loo, but where they were situated it was nearby so not too bad.

That was in the late 80s, early 90s. Surely portacabins have even improved since then? At least they wont be insulated with asbestos!

sleepyscientist · 19/09/2023 22:11

What I don't get is we have two schools being rebuilt near us that aren't effected by RAcC yet the government hasn't pulled the builders off those to fix the ones that are closed.

We built the nightingales to protect the elderly but we haven't done the same for the kids, shows how much we care about the kids.

RoseAndRose · 19/09/2023 22:18

I think most pupils won't notice

We had various portacabins when I was at school and I don't think anyone really noticed or cared that they weren't brick

They shouldn't be cold though - way better insulation/ hear retention than there used to be. There's no reason for them to smell (or at least no worse than any other classroom does) and can have loos/sinks (not sure how complicated to connect up, though). Foxes living underneath sounds like poor installation as there should be a barrier to prevent creatures getting underneath (inc by burrowing)

lanthanum · 20/09/2023 10:22

A nice new portacabin is often better than a dilapidated classroom in a block that was built 40 years ago with materials designed to last 30 years. We had a whole science department in portacabins and they said they were far better equipped than in the block they replaced. My department had two portacabins, and one teacher preferred to have one of those - the main disadvantage was just being at a distance from the rest of the department and the stock cupboard.

SirSamVimesCityWatch · 20/09/2023 10:44

My DD is absolutely delighted about being in a portacabin this year! They are normally the year 6 classrooms but this year are being used for year 5. (Not a concrete issue.)

I have said to her that they might be a bit chilly in the winter but she's still pretty happy so far. They've got their own toilets and cloakroom so they don't have to go over to the main building to go to the loo.

I was in one at my primary school in the late 80s / early 90s and other than being a bit hot in summer I remember quite liking it.

I can't get too pissed off at her for this to be honest. Other stuff yes! But this seems fair enough - she didn't say all kids love them!

SurreyMumOfOne · 20/09/2023 10:49

My GP's surgery has been in a portakabin building for six years, it's fine. Agree with pp that decent ones are probably better than crappy old buildings.

But that's not the fucking point. It shouldn't have got to this situation and what an ridiculous thing to say.

I also thinks it's poor how quickly it's disappeared from the headlines. Poor children.

cocksstrideintheevening · 20/09/2023 10:52

I spend a lot of time in site offices that are portakabins and they are way better than the ones we used to have when I was in school in the early 90s. AC/heating etc but es @SurreyMumOfOne that is not the fucking point, the whole thing is a disgrace.

Hbh17 · 20/09/2023 10:58

We had them at school, and they were nicer and better equipped than most of the classrooms in the main buildings. So some kids will prefer them, but obviously it depends on individual buildings/schools.

Fifthtimelucky · 20/09/2023 11:10

My school had a few portacabins for the whole 7 years I was there (1970s). I regularly had lessons in them and don't remember them being particularly cold (or hot in the summer).

I suspect the new ones are better quality, so I'm sure they will be fine, especially as a short term measure.

NCembarassed · 20/09/2023 11:26

Her comments make me rage.

I think she is being flippant and minimising the issue, which in politics can easily lead to it being ignored. It feels as if her point is, if interim measures are in place, the public should be happy.

Politics led to the works not being done years ago - making themselves look/feel good by 'saving' millions.

Children in this country deserve safe and reliable infrastructure and buildings.

Having learnt in mobile units myself, they are cold and damp in winter, suffocating in summer.

If it's so great for children, let's replace Portcullis House with a few stories of mobile units.

Notsureofaname · 20/09/2023 11:29

In my DS’s large primary school the yr6 classes are in a portacabin they’re the best classrooms in the school. They have their own toilets, air con and heating. It’s not cold in the winter. They’re away from the rest of the school, the children look forward to being in year 6 to get those classrooms. They are the only ones with air con in the summer.

Madcats · 20/09/2023 11:30

I probably spent 1/3 of my secondary school being taught in portacabins in the late 70's/early 80's. They were fine (except during exams because the floor planks moved when the invigilator walked past).

DD's school has had a 2 storey block of 6 for about 4 years, during building work, and she much preferred them to the grade 2 listed building that heats up like an oven after a few warm days. The school planned ahead for months, though.

Schools round here seem to be raac-free, possibly because the population growth is/was more recent.

NCembarassed · 20/09/2023 11:32

Short-term solutions in politics often end up being used way beyond all reasonable limits.

RAAC itself was only meant to be a short-term solution. So often political solutions mean making politicians look good, or giving multimillion pound projects to their mates.

I am so, so disillusioned with any party at the moment. The vast majority of people in paying political jobs at all levels appear to be self-serving grifters and seem to not give a shit about society.

TripleDaisySummer · 20/09/2023 11:39

School I went to had them - wouldn't say I preferred them but they weren't that bad they also weren't only building we had to walk between.

School did worked bloody hard though over decades starting in my time there to get rid of them and get better - now they are half closed due to RAAC - which must feel like a kick in the teeth and they are getting the run around - they've given interviews saying that which I've read.

DD2 school is relatively new about a decade old - it was partially shut this week because several of the rooves were severely leaking causing widespread damage - does make you wonder about quality and upkeep even in the new buildings.

squidnames · 20/09/2023 14:20

Hate how she's minimizing the issue. Absolute disgrace I feel sorry for the teachers and children.

Notonthestairs · 20/09/2023 14:33

Well call me old fashioned but I'd much prefer my kids to be taught in a school building. The fact that school buildings are often shit isn't an excuse in itself to palm kids off.

But Sunak & Keegan etc can have their kids taught in portacabins if they like, I won't stop them.

squidnames · 20/09/2023 14:37

Notonthestairs · 20/09/2023 14:33

Well call me old fashioned but I'd much prefer my kids to be taught in a school building. The fact that school buildings are often shit isn't an excuse in itself to palm kids off.

But Sunak & Keegan etc can have their kids taught in portacabins if they like, I won't stop them.

Lol yes, let's see their kids studying in portacabins.

Flip