05 September 2023 - School concrete crisis in the UK
What is Raac and why is it forcing schools to shut buildings?
Mabel Banfield-Nwachi (The Guardian, 31/08/2023)
Ministers have ordered schools to immediately shut buildings made with aerated concrete until safety work is undertaken. The decision could see thousands of pupils at more than 100 schools in England begin the autumn term taking lessons remotely.
Minister claims gov has been 'most proactive in world' on concrete crisis - despite claims it didn't heed warnings
Faye Brown (Sky News, 05/09/2023)
Schools minister Nick Gibb claimed the government is taking more proactive action than anyone "in the world" over the concrete crisis following accusations it didn't heed warnings.
Mr Gibb told Sky News he did not accept criticism from the National Audit Office (NAO) that the Department for Education (DfE) was taking a "sticking plaster approach" to crumbling schools.
Are spending cuts to blame for the schools concrete crisis?
Faisal Islam (BBC News, 04/09/2023)
When the public finances are in a tight spot, the axe often falls first on capital spending. This is government spending on buildings and facilities, not on, for example, wages and day-to-day services.
The political rationale is that it takes time, often years, to see the material impact of a squeeze on capital sending. It kicks cans down the road. But are capital spending cuts in education during the austerity years to blame for the current schools concrete crisis?
Gillian Keegan caught saying ‘everyone else has sat on arse’ over concrete crisis
Peter Walker (The Guardian, 04/09/2023)
Gillian Keegan has apologised after being caught swearing on camera while expressing frustration about the crumbling concrete crisis in schools, claiming that “everyone else has sat on their arse” while she tried to fix the problem.