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Expert explains why Raac is more dangerous than standard concrete
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Gillian Keegan has told school chiefs to “get off their backsides” and inform the government whether they are impacted by the crumbling concrete.
The education secretary, who railed against those who had “sat on their arse and done nothing” in a sweary outburst a day earlier, told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday: “The annoying bit and this was probably a bit of my frustration yesterday, is despite asking since March 2020, there’s 5% of schools or responsible bodies that have not responded to the survey.
“Now hopefully all this publicity will make them get off their backsides.
“We’ve written to them quite a few times and we’ve also set up a call centre to phone them up to ask them to do it and they still haven’t. So we have written to them yesterday and given them ‘til the end of the week.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Ms Keegan confirmed that “not every building” with Raac will be torn down.
“You have to manage it”, she explained.
Are you a parent whose child has been affected by RAAC closures? E-mail alexander.butler@independent.co.uk
Recommended Concrete closure list: What schools will have to close because of crumbling RAAC? Parents still in dark on concrete crisis as pupils return to school despite ‘thousands more buildings at risk’ Labour revives attack ads claiming concrete scandal shows Rishi Sunak does not want schools to be safe
Key Points Sunak guilty of ‘sticking plaster approach’, says spending watchdog More than 100 schools shut over dangerous concrete Not every building with Raac will be torn down - Gillian Keegan School chiefs should ‘get off their backsides’ and inform government of Raac impact, says Gillian Keegan Government ‘has no plans’ to tell public where buildings with Raac are National Theatre has found Raac in ‘number’ of backstage areas
Show latest update 1693918607 Not every building with Raac will be torn down - Gillian Keegan
Not every building with Raac will be torn down, Gillian Keegan has said.
It was put to the education secretary that reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) with a 30-year lifespan is starting to collapse after 60 years.
She told Jeremy Vine: “Yes but you have to manage it, right? We’re not going to tear every building down that has Raac in it. You have to manage it.”
She noted that Raac “actually had a 50-year lease and then they changed it to 30”.
She put her sweary outburst the day before down to frustration that the interviewer “was trying to pin everything on me, you know, ‘why haven’t you done this, why haven’t you done that, why haven’t you done the other?’ And actually Raac has been around for a long time, since the 1950s to 1994.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 13:56
1693918499 School chiefs should ‘get off their backsides’ and inform government of Raac impact, says Gillian Keegan
School chiefs who have not responded to a survey should “get off their backsides” and inform the government whether they are affected by crumbling concrete, Gillian Keegan has said.
The education secretary, who railed against those who had “sat on their arse and done nothing” in a sweary outburst a day earlier, told Jeremy Vine on BBC Radio 2 on Tuesday: “The annoying bit and this was probably a bit of my frustration yesterday, is despite asking since March 2020, there’s 5% of schools or responsible bodies that have not responded to the survey.
“Now hopefully all this publicity will make them get off their backsides.
“But what I would like them to do is to respond because I want to be the Secretary of State that knows exactly in every school where there is Raac and takes action.”
She added: “We’ve written to them quite a few times and we’ve also set up a call centre to phone them up to ask them to do it and they still haven’t. So we have written to them yesterday and given them ‘til the end of the week.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 13:54
1693928159 Downing Street backs Gillian Keegan’s call for school chiefs to respond to Raac survey
Downing Street has backed Gillian Keegan’s call for school chiefs to respond to a survey about crumbling concrete.
The prime minister’s official spokesman did not repeat the education secretary’s call for the responsible bodies, councils and school trust leaders, to “get off their backsides”.
But he said: “Certainly, parents want reassurance on this and I think we would agree that it is important that all schools, as 95% or more have already done so, fill out this survey so we can provide further reassurance.
“We know already that, in the vast majority of cases, parents and pupils will not be affected by this.”
(PA Wire)
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 16:35
1693927319 Scottish ministers knew of Raac school risks last summer, Somerville says
Scottish ministers have been aware of the risks of collapse-prone concrete since last summer, Shirley-Anne Somerville said as she pledged to be “open” with the public on concerns.
The Social Justice Secretary confirmed officials from the Scottish government had been communicating with local authorities since “way back in July 2022” to share information on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac).
It comes as a freedom of information request shows a document prepared by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service warning of potential “structural collapse” of hospitals, the “prevalence of asbestos in buildings of this age” and the “unknown performance” of the material in a fire.
Ms Somerville said the concrete has been detected in 37 schools in Scotland, however the impacted schools are not expected to close while a “desk-based review” is conducted over the coming months.
But 104 schools south of the border have been partially or fully closed following concerns about the material.
Addressing MSPs in Holyrood during topical questions on Tuesday, Ms Somerville said: “This has of course been an issue that the government has been aware of for some time, and that’s why action has been taken, and has been for some time, for example way back in July 2022 Scottish government officials made contact with the Scottish heads of Property Services and directors of education in Scotland to share information on Raac.”
The Social Justice Secretary also moved to reassure pupils, parents and teachers of where the concrete has been discovered, adding: “I can completely appreciate why there is public concern on this, particularly given the way that announcements have been handled down in England.
“But I can reassure the member that we appreciate that public concern means we need to be as open as possible, as we can be, for this because parents and staff are concerned about this issue.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 16:21
1693926359 Responsibility for Raac crisis ‘sits squarely on the government’s shoulders’, says headteachers’ union chief
The responsibility for the concrete crisis “sits squarely on the government’s shoulders”, the general secretary of a headteachers’ union has said.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by government to deflect from its own significant failings.”
He added: “The fact that we now have classroom ceilings held up by metal poles and classrooms put out of use completely is a reflection of the neglect and cuts we have been warning about for years.
“The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the government’s shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 16:05
1693925459 Ask an education expert anything about the school concrete crisis - from homeschooling to closure details
Parents across the country are still attempting to piece together all the information after safety fears forced more than 100 schools to close.
Many pupils have been resuming their studies online or in temporary facilities following fears over a type of concrete, described as “80 per cent air” and “like an Aero Bar”.
Schools Week editor John Dickens is on hand to answer your questions as parents grapple to understand how crumbling concrete could disrupt their children’s education. Join from 4pm, and submit questions until 5pm:
Ask an education expert anything about the school concrete closure crisis Schools Week editor John Dickens is on hand to answer your questions as parents grapple to understand how crumbling concrete could disrupt their children’s education
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 15:50
1693924686 Sadiq Khan urges Tories to be ‘transparent’ over school concrete crisis
Sadiq Khan has urged the government to be “transparent” over the school concrete crisis.
The Mayor of London said the consequences of RAAC are not being shared with him, as he visited Newport Primary School in the capital.
Mr Khan made the trip as free school meals are rolled out across the city to all state primary school children.
“I think the government has to come clean and be transparent,” he said.
“This would be reassuring to staff, to parents, to children and to others.”
Sadiq Khan urges Tories to be ‘transparent’ over school concrete crisis Sadiq Khan has urged the government to be “transparent” over the school concrete crisis. The Mayor of London said the consequences of RAAC are not being shared with him, as he visted Newport Primary School in the capital. Mr Khan made the trip as free school meals are rolled out across the city to all state primary school children. “I think the government has to come clean and be transparent,” he said. “This would be reassuring to staff, to parents, to children and to others.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 15:38
1693923740 Northampton’s Royal & Derngate Theatre temporarily closed
The Royal & Derngate Theatre in Northampton has temporarily closed after detecting Raac in its foyers.
Describing the safety of its audiences as “paramount”, the theatre made the decision following a building survey.
Staff will be working from home during the closure, the theatre added.
Chief Executive, Jo Gordon, said: “We are deeply saddened by this discovery and to have to close our doors at this time, particularly as September is usually an incredibly busy and important time for the theatre.
“We are keenly aware of the disappointment that this will cause to audiences, visiting companies and our staff alike, though we know they’ll understand that their safety is always our primary concern.
“We look forward to welcoming everyone back as soon as possible and updating further as soon as we are able.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 15:22
1693923659 Hospitals told to have plans in place for collapse of Raac panels
Hospitals have been told to ensure they have evacuation plans in place to deal with the risk of collapse-prone concrete.
NHS chiefs have been told to have procedures to cope with the failure of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac), including for the “decant of patients and services”.
Managers in hospitals where Raac has already been confirmed have been told to ensure that management plans to deal with it are “sufficiently robust and being implemented”.
A letter sent from NHS England to trust chiefs said 27 sites had previously been identified as having Raac, with three of them having already eradicated the concrete.
The letter, from NHS England’s chief commercial officer Jacqui Rock and national director for emergency planning and incident response Dr Mike Prentice, called for trusts to make sure work to identify and manage Raac had been properly carried out.
But it added that plans for Raac collapses also needed to be kept up to date.
“Effective management of Raac significantly reduces associated risks; but does not completely eliminate them,” they said.
“Planning for Raac failure, including the decant of patients and services where Raac panels are present in clinical areas, is, therefore, part of business continuity planning for trusts where Raac is known to be present, or is potentially present.”
A regional evacuation plan was created and tested in the East of England region, with lessons from it shared across the country.
“We would recommend that all boards ensure that they are familiar with the learning from this exercise and that they are being incorporated into standard business continuity planning as a matter of good practice,” the NHS England letter said.
“This exercise is, however, essential for those organisations with known Raac, and should be done as a matter of priority if it has not already been completed.”
(PA Wire)
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 15:20
1693923202 National Theatre has found Raac in ‘number’ of backstage areas
The National Theatre said it has found reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) in a number of its backstage areas.
On Tuesday, a statement from the theatre on London’s South Bank said: “The National Theatre is a grade II listed building made predominantly from traditional reinforced and post tensioned concrete; there are a small number of select backstage areas where Raac is present.
“Our structural engineers are in the process of surveying these areas, initial indications are that they are safe and do not currently require remedial works.
“We have always and will continue to take the safety of our staff and audiences very seriously.”
Eleanor Noyce 5 September 2023 15:13
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1/ 1Gillian Keegan tells education chiefs to ‘get off their backsides’
Gillian Keegan tells education chiefs to ‘get off their backsides’
Work is carried out on an RAAC school in Leicester
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