Revealed: 90% of schools with RAAC yet to see removals - which may take 5 years

EMBARGO: Immediate Release

Questioning by the Liberal Democrats has revealed that RAAC is yet to be removed from 90% of affected schools, as the Government admits it may take up to 5 years to mitigate the problem. 

Just 30 schools out of the 237 confirmed to contain RAAC have successfully had it removed by Government mitigation programmes, the Liberal Democrats have revealed - leaving 90% with the dangerous concrete still in place. 

RAAC, or reinforced autoclave aerated concrete, was the cause of three sudden roof collapses in UK schools in 2023, after which the Government pledged funding to remove the material. 

But it seems that 207 schools of the 237 identified to contain the dangerous material are yet to have it removed.

Grants allocated by the Government have removed RAAC from 30 schools, Stephen Morgan, Under-Secretary of State for Early Education, said, and 122 more have been included on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (SRP). 

But he admitted that the school rebuilding programmes could each take “3 to 5 years to complete” - raising concerns about the disruption to pupils’ education, as the Liberal Democrats estimate that 5 years of rebuilding programmes could affect up to 68,000 pupils.

The Liberal Democrats are pressuring the Government to set out a plan to speed up the Schools’ Rebuilding Programme, so that fewer students see disruption. 

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said:

“Thousands of children are studying in dangerous schools or inadequate temporary buildings, with the timeline for repair stretching on for years. This generation of young people saw unprecedented disruption to their education under COVID, so that 90% of schools are yet to see action to remove RAAC is deeply concerning.

“The Conservatives left our school buildings falling apart. This Government must act swiftly to end the crumbling schools scandal, and it seems that neither the RAAC removal grants nor the School Rebuilding Programme are delivering with the urgency we need. 

“The Government must set out a plan to speed up the Schools Rebuilding Programme, so that students across the country can get back to their classrooms, halls and sports and arts facilities.”

ENDS

Notes to Editor:

PQ here.

Estimates for numbers of students affected by a 5-year SRP plan to repair school buildings here.