WHY DID IT TAKE 5 YEARS TO SHUT UNSAFE SCHOOLS?

SCHOOLS were ordered to shut unsafe classrooms yesterday, FIVE years after the danger was first exposed.

- Sam Lister

Thousands of pupils will start the term learning online from home as more than 100 buildings have been closed amid fears they could collapse. The move will cause chaos for parents just days before the school year begins.

Ministers were accused of "incompetence" over the last-minute closures, after it emerged officials had been warned five years ago that a type of concrete used in some buildings is at risk of crumbling.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan insisted that a "cautious approach" was the correct way to deal with the issue.

She said her office was "acting on new evidence" about reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) but did not disclose what prompted the urgent measures.

Cllr Kevin Bentley, senior vice-chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "Leaving this announcement until near the end of the summer holidays, rather than at the beginning, has left schools and councils with very little time to make urgent rearrangements and minimise disruption to classroom learning.

"The LGA has been warning of the risk from RAAC in schools since 2018. The Government should urgently establish a taskforce to ensure the safety of both pupils and staff in the long term."