Due to safety concerns after pieces of concrete fell from a ceiling, two schools in the north-east region of England have been shut down completely and two others have partially closed.
The council of North Tyneside stated that worries regarding Fordley and Hazlewood primary schools, Churchill community college, and Grasmere academy were not connected to the widespread issue with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac). This problem has impacted over 230 schools in England.
According to the council, a small fragment of concrete fell in the IT suite at Fordley Primary School overnight in December.
As a result, safety evaluations were conducted in neighboring schools, resulting in the closure of certain year groups at Fordley and Churchill. Additionally, Grasmere and Hazlewood have transitioned to online learning.
The director of resources for North Tyneside council, Jon Ritchie, stated that structural engineers are conducting thorough building inspections in collaboration with engineers from the Department for Education.
“Until the complete results of these thorough investigations are revealed, the schools, with the assistance of North Tyneside council, have chosen to shut down the areas of the buildings that require inspections.”
“When initial inspections have identified issues, the schools have collaborated with us to determine closures for either the entire school or certain areas within the school. We have promptly addressed these concerns with the schools and implemented measures to minimize the potential risks to the school communities.”
I want to assure everyone that the problems with the structure are not caused by Raac. We are collaborating with the Department for Education’s team for complex projects to come up with solutions.
Catherine McKinnell, the shadow minister for education, expressed her concern over the Conservative party’s handling of safety issues with school buildings. She also highlighted the added stress and disruption faced by teachers and parents as a result.
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The ministers need to promptly address the situation and clearly define the scope of issues in addition to Raac. They should also outline a plan of action with specific timelines to ensure that all students can return to the classroom.
“For more than ten years, this issue has been ignored, serving as yet another instance of a Conservative administration that fails to prioritize the well-being and education of children. In contrast, Labour governments have consistently prioritized investing in the future of our children through promoting economic growth. It will be the responsibility of the next Labour government to do so once more.”
Source: theguardian.com
