More than 100 schools in the UK have been ordered to close before the start of the school year due to construction quality problems. The British Ministry of Education announced that unsafe materials were used in the construction of their school buildings, specifically concrete material.
A total of 104 schools have been instructed to close their premises, while 156 schools have previously confirmed the use of unsafe lightweight material in construction. Out of those, 52 schools have made improvements to reduce safety risks. The exact number of students affected by the closure is still unclear.
The concerns regarding building materials have been raised for years, and the schools have been warned to prepare for an evacuation at some point in the future. The buildings in these schools use reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC), a lighter concrete material. This type of material has been found to be prone to building collapse, despite being used from the 1950s to the mid-1990s.
In 2018, a primary school in southeast England experienced a roof collapse, and investigations revealed that RAAC materials were used in the roof and construction. Although no one was injured in the incident, it drew attention to the safety risks associated with the material. Safety alerts were issued in 2019, and this year, the British education union asked the government to address the hazard.
At the end of July, the UK’s National Audit Office released a report stating that “700,000 students are studying in school buildings in need of major refurbishment or rebuilding.” A regulator report also criticized the British Department of Education for failing to reduce the risk of school buildings collapsing since 2021.
The news of hundreds of school closures has sparked heated discussions, particularly because British students are about to start the new school year. The British government has pledged to collaborate with local authorities to provide “individualized solutions” for the affected schools. This may include using alternative buildings for classes, sharing space with other schools, building temporary structures, and resorting to online teaching as a last option. The government assures that the majority of schools are not affected.
British Education Secretary Keegan stated that the decision to act at the beginning of the school year was a cautious approach for the safety of students and school staff. The closures will disrupt education, but funding will be provided for necessary repairs.
The Department of Education has been “actively monitoring” all cases of the unsafe material, but recent incidents have eroded confidence in buildings using such materials. Keegan emphasized that the government’s priority is ensuring the safety of children and staff in schools and colleges.
Critics argue that the safety risks of concrete materials are not new, and some lawmakers accuse the government of being aware of the risks but only now ordering the school closures, causing disruptions to teaching arrangements. The secretary-general of the British National Education Union, Kebede, expressed concern about the serious disruption to thousands of children and inconvenience to school leaders resulting from the closures.
As the new school year approaches, 104 school buildings have been deemed unsafe and unusable, creating challenges for both students and educational institutions. The government’s focus is now on addressing the safety issues and finding suitable alternatives for affected schools.