Responding to the final report of the Public Accounts Committee
into the condition of school buildings, Paul Whiteman, general
secretary at school leaders’ union NAHT, said:
“It beggars belief that nearly three months after the
government’s belated, panicked crisis response to the RAAC
situation, schools and parents still cannot have confidence that
ministers understand or have a plan to deal with the full extent
of risks posed by deteriorating school buildings.
“There is no clear timetable for how long current disruption will
continue, let alone for when all RAAC will be identified and
removed, and the government is failing to honour its promises to
be fully transparent and provide regular data on the scale of the
problem and progress in mitigating and tackling it.
“Many schools are still awaiting temporary classrooms and are
having to repurpose dining halls, PE facilities, and spaces for
after-school provision and wrap-around care. We are increasingly
concerned about the impact on children’s education, particularly
for pupils with exams next year.
“This report lays bare how RAAC is just one of many issues
contributing to the worrying condition of buildings, yet it would
take the existing School Rebuilding Programme more than 400 years
to reach every school, which would be laughable if this wasn’t so
serious.
“We urgently need clarity from ministers on when RAAC will be
dealt with and a proper long-term plan to ensure the school
estate is fit for purpose, both backed by the significant new
funding that will be needed. This should be a top priority for
next week’s Autumn Statement.”
