Government must come clean over scale of crumbly concrete in schools

Responding to the announcement today (Tuesday) that the number of confirmed cases of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools in England has increased to 174, UNISON head of education Mike Short said:

“Many involved in education suspect ministers still aren’t revealing the true scale of this growing problem.

“At-risk schools remain in the dark as they wait for inspections. This is simply not good enough.

“Ministers must come clean, be honest with parents and staff, and give schools clear guidance about what they should do, not leave them stuck in limbo.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Dan Ashley M: 07789 518992 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Government must come clean over scale of crumbly concrete in schools first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Government must come clean over scale of crumbly concrete in schools

Responding to the announcement today (Tuesday) that the number of confirmed cases of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in schools in England has increased to 174, UNISON head of education Mike Short said:

“Many involved in education suspect ministers still aren’t revealing the true scale of this growing problem.

“At-risk schools remain in the dark as they wait for inspections. This is simply not good enough.

“Ministers must come clean, be honest with parents and staff, and give schools clear guidance about what they should do, not leave them stuck in limbo.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services – in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Dan Ashley M: 07789 518992 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Government must come clean over scale of crumbly concrete in schools first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON urges government to make schools safe now

Scores of schools that could be at risk of collapse have been warned to be ready for the possibility that they could have to close part or all of their buildings within days, according to reports in the Mirror.

The affected schools were built with “crumbly” reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the 1960s to 1990s, with a life expectancy of around 30 years.

According to an internal government document seen by the media, the Department for Education have been hastily calling schools over the bank holiday weekend warning them to have plans in place to close school buildings at short notice, despite unions and other organisations calling for urgent action to make schools safe for many months.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “Since January this year the DfE and ministers have done all they can to avoid the repeated requests made to provide parents and staff with information on the true conditions of our schools.

“Instead they have found every possible loop hole to avoid publishing the information, with the minister even failing to meet his promise to parliament to publish the data before the summer break.

“We now have the absurd situation of government departments ringing schools days before term begins, telling them to prepare for potential building closures.

“It’s time for the government to get to grips with the issue and ensure our schools are safe – now and for generations to come.”

The article UNISON urges government to make schools safe now first appeared on the UNISON National site.

UNISON urges government to make schools safe now

Scores of schools that could be at risk of collapse have been warned to be ready for the possibility that they could have to close part or all of their buildings within days, according to reports in the Mirror.

The affected schools were built with “crumbly” reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) from the 1960s to 1990s, with a life expectancy of around 30 years.

According to an internal government document seen by the media, the Department for Education have been hastily calling schools over the bank holiday weekend warning them to have plans in place to close school buildings at short notice, despite unions and other organisations calling for urgent action to make schools safe for many months.

UNISON head of education Mike Short said: “Since January this year the DfE and ministers have done all they can to avoid the repeated requests made to provide parents and staff with information on the true conditions of our schools.

“Instead they have found every possible loop hole to avoid publishing the information, with the minister even failing to meet his promise to parliament to publish the data before the summer break.

“We now have the absurd situation of government departments ringing schools days before term begins, telling them to prepare for potential building closures.

“It’s time for the government to get to grips with the issue and ensure our schools are safe – now and for generations to come.”

The article UNISON urges government to make schools safe now first appeared on the UNISON National site.

School budgets reach breaking point, so UNISON members are taking action

Schools are grappling with insufficient funding. As school budgets reach breaking point, there are inevitable consequences for the quality of education being provided to young people, as well as the working conditions of school staff.

New research from UNISON has shown that funding remains significantly below 2010 levels, and a pupil who started school in 2010 will have lost out on an average of £5,384 of funding as a result of budget cuts. 

On a daily basis, this means larger class sizes, reduced access to student support services, cuts in extra-curricular activities provision like after-school clubs and trips, and reduced specialist support for SEND pupils.

It also means pupils and staff are learning and working in unsafe buildings, many of which contain asbestos and materials that were never intended to still be in use. 

This is why UNISON members are emailing their local councillors, asking them to write to the Secretary for Education and ask for more money for schools.

Write to your councillor here

UNISON wants Secretary of State for Education Gillian Keegan to consider the impact that chronic underfunding has had on our schools and on the life-chances of children and young people, and is calling for her to:

  • increase per pupil funding so that schools can continue to deliver excellent education;
  • reverse the cuts to schools capital funding, and ensure sufficient funding is available for schools to repair or replace all defective elements;
  • ensure SEND pupils don’t miss out by investing in specialist provision and support staff in schools. 

Thanks to UNISON members taking action, over 150 councillors have added their name so far, including councillors and council leaders from Labour, Green, Liberal Democrat and Conservative parties.

UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea said: “The government can’t seriously believe that cutting school funding is a route to better education and improved outcomes for children and young people.

“In every community, cash-strapped schools and schools staff are in crisis. And although they continue to go above and beyond to support pupils, this isn’t sustainable.

“Thirteen years of dwindling school budgets has taken its toll on the life chances of children and young people, and on staff morale.

“Local councillors can join UNISON’s action by forcing the government to take a serious look at the impact of its failures and to deliver fair school funding.”  

Write to your councillor

The article School budgets reach breaking point, so UNISON members are taking action first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Energy bills see schools pull back on ventilation and CO2 monitoring

A UNISON survey has revealed that, amid fears over rising energy costs, there has been a significant drop off in good ventilation practices in schools in the absence of government messaging on COVID and other viruses.

The survey was conducted among UNISON members working as school support staff across the UK between 4–9 November. This included teaching/classroom assistants working in classrooms, of whom 1,644 responded.

The results showed that:

  • on CO2 monitoring, only 26% said that their schools was still actively monitoring levels in all classrooms. Nearly 50% (49.7%) of respondents said their schools were no longer actively monitoring CO2 levels in all classrooms;
  • on ventilation, only 16% of respondents said the school was ensuring good ventilation in all areas, while 38% replied that the school had stopped taking action to ensure good ventilation, and 46% said that their school was ventilating rooms much less than last year;
  • on the main reason their school was no longer actively monitoring CO2 levels or ensuring good ventilation (multiple choice options), 44.6% of respondents stated it was because their school “no longer thought COVID was an issue” and 42% that their “school is worried about energy costs and heating bills (ie more heating is needed when windows are opened)”.

UNISON is concerned that this drop off in ventilation is increasing the risk of illness and absences in schools, with particular concern for immunosuppressed pupils and staff.

It also comes at a time when statistics from the Department for Education (DfE) show that attendance rates are still below pre-pandemic levels.

The DfE has now announced that it is sending more CO2 monitors to schools – enough for one per classroom – alongside a reminder of the importance of ventilation. It is also reopening the bidding process for schools to apply for air filters.

While this is a welcome step, UNISON is concerned that the criteria being used by the DfE on CO2 levels in schools is being set at such a level that the overwhelming majority of schools will still not be provided with air filters.

The joint unions, including UNISON, recently wrote to the children’s commissioner for England on this, saying: “In July we wrote to the former secretary of state for education, James Cleverly MP, calling on the government to use the summer break to invest in measures such as ventilation in all schools to help reduce the chance of yet another wave of COVID absences this term.

UNISON is restating its call for the government to provide suitable/appropriate air filters to all schools as soon as possible this winter, and for an urgent announcement from government on the extension of the energy support scheme, which is currently only confirmed until the end of March next year. Removing fears over energy costs will be crucial to supporting ventilation.

In the meantime, the union is also urging schools to follow UNISON guidance on improving ventilation to help reduce illness and absences this winter.

If members have any concerns on ventilation in their schools, please immediately contact your branch for support. If you don’t know how to contact your branch, you can find out here.

The article Energy bills see schools pull back on ventilation and CO2 monitoring first appeared on the UNISON National site.