State of school buildings has hit ‘rock bottom’ - unions
Seven unions representing education staff - Community, GMB, NAHT, NASUWT, NEU, UNISON and Unite - have written an open letter to the secretary of state Gillian Keegan, highlighting what they describe as the ‘shocking’ state of school buildings. They say ‘perpertual underinvestment’ has led to the situation reaching ‘rock bottom’, with some buildings potentially at risk of collapse. Research by the House of Commons Library calculates that between 2009-10 and 2021-22, overall capital spending declined by around 37 per cent in cash terms and 50 per cent in real terms. The signatories call for the government to take urgent action to make the school estate safe and fit for the future.
They note the Department for Education’s (DfE) own Condition of School Buildings Survey in May 2021 (based on data from 2017-2019), which found that it would cost £11.4 billion to repair or replace all defective elements in the school estate. ‘Given inflationary pressures’, the letter says ‘it seems reasonable to assume that this amount will now be much higher.’ The letter also points out that many buildings contain materials that were never intended to be still in use, such as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a material with low compressive strength and susceptible to water damage, used widely in school buildings with flat roofs.
They also highlight the DfE’s own most recent annual report, which said ‘there is a risk of collapse of one or more blocks in some schools’, with the risk level having been escalated to ‘Critical – Very likely’. According to the DfE annual report, the risk is mainly in buildings built between 1945 and 1970, which the unions point out are also those most likely to contain asbestos. This would further compound the gravity of the situation should a collapse occur, and make remedial work more difficult and more costly, the letter says. The unions suggest their concerns are shared by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), who have called for school buildings with structural safety risks to be urgently assessed and a programme of works put in place.
The letter includes a series of questions for the DfE, including asking them to confirm if they hold full information on which school buildings may be at risk of collapse, and when affected buildings will be made safe. The unions would also like to know what additional capital funding the government will provide to ensure school buildings are safe and fit for the future, and what is being done to fund the removal of asbestos.
Commenting on the open letter, Community’s national officer Helen Osgood said: ‘The DfE must take swift action on this matter as the health and safety of our children and education workforce is on the line. Prompt action is needed to identify any problem buildings as a matter of urgency. The current assessments of buildings are not thorough enough, which means that currently underlying structural problems go unnoticed. Funding must be provided, so schools can ensure that the buildings they occupy do not have any major structural issues.’
Also commenting, Dr Patrick Roach, NASUWT general secretary, said: ‘Rebuilding and refurbishment investment is at a fraction of what is required to keep pupils and staff able to learn and work safely. School staff and parents deserve and need to know if their schools are at risk and what is being done to urgently to ensure the safety of their schools.’
A DfE spokesperson said: ‘If the department is made aware of a building that poses an imminent risk of collapsing, immediate action is taken to ensure safety and remediate the situation. At present, the department is not aware of any school building that remains open in this state and would expect responsible bodies to immediately approach us if this were the case.’
Full letter: https://tinyurl.com/2vudmehd