Children face return of pandemic-style learning over ‘crumbling concrete crisis’ | UK News

England’s ‘crumbling concrete crisis’ will result in a return of pandemic-style remote learning for tens of thousands of children.

More than 100 schools and colleges have been ordered to partially or fully close buildings immediately – just days before the start of the new school year – after the sudden collapse of a beam last week.

There are fears more classrooms could be forced to shut because of ‘safety risks’ posed by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Extra measures are set to be put in place, with some schools having to relocate pupils to other teaching spaces.

The Department for Education (DfE) said education secretary Gillian Keegan will inform Parliament ‘of the plan to keep parents and the public updated on the issue’.

But he stressed the disruption should last ‘days, not weeks’ even in cases where pandemic-style remote learning was made necessary due to building closures.

Labour has revealed plans to force a vote to compel the government to publish the extent to RAAC is affecting public buildings.

The government has pledged to do so ‘in due course’, but Labour said it plans to put forward a humble address, an arcane parliamentary mechanism which can be used to demand papers from government departments, to force the publication of a list of affected schools.

The party has also demanded an ‘urgent audit’ of the public sector estate on the impact of the material after it was revealed the DfE was told about in 2018.

A department spokesperson said schools needed time ‘to inform parents and consider their next steps’ before the list of schools is affected.

In guidance published on Thursday, it recommended using nearby schools, community centres or an ’empty local office building’ for the ‘first few weeks’ while structural supports are installed to mitigate the risk of collapse.

Schools were told moving to remote education should be considered only as a ‘last resort and for a short period’.

Meanwhile, experts have warned that the crisis over RAAC could extend beyond the education sector, with hospitals, courts and offices also potentially at risk.

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