London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – A headteachers’ union is urging the government to deliver “financial protection” for schools at risk of failure, as well as a grant for students to catch up on any lost learning.
How Can the Government Protect Schools Financially Affected by Raac Closures?
In 2023, schools were advised to close any buildings containing fortified autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) that did not have existing security measures in place.
Pepe Di’Iasio, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said that affected schools could encounter fewer enrolments and continued disturbance to existing students. “Even small changes in pupil numbers can have significant implications for school budgets,” he stated. “This is a problem decades in the making and something that will be to the financial detriment of the schools affected for years to come.”
In February, Raac was placed in 234 education establishments in England. The Department for Education previously stated that 119 of these schools – where works to remove Raac are more extensive or difficult – will have one or more buildings reconstructed or refurbished through the government’s school rebuilding programme. An additional 110 schools and colleges – where works will typically be less in scale – will receive a grant to assist them remove Raac from their buildings.
Is the Government Doing Enough to Address the Long-Term Effects of Raac on UK Schools?
A Department for Education spokesperson stated: “We have inherited a £22bn black spot in the public finances and enhancing school infrastructure will take time. “By bringing economic strength and growth, we can fix the bases of our economy and invest in our public services to rebuild Britain and ensure our schools are fit for the future. “We know Raac disrupted schools and colleges and operating closely with them we completed the Raac designation programme earlier this year. We remain fully concentrating on work to resolve this problem as quickly as possible, permanently terminating Raac either through grant budget or the school rebuilding programme.”
Earlier this month, the Scottish Liberal Democrats called for national registers of buildings with Raac as they pushed the Scottish government for an update on the number of council houses impacted. The action came after 500 homes in Aberdeen were recognised as being affected by the collapse-risk concrete and an autonomous structural engineers’ report on the properties suggested that council tenants be relocated to alternative accommodation within the city.