I am hugely worried: parents on the Raac disruption in schools
The Guardian After the government ordered 147 schools to immediately shut buildings made with aerated concrete that is liable to sudden collapse, potentially thousands of pupils in England are missing out on a return to school this week or are beginning the term taking lessons remotely or in temporary buildings.
Twenty-four schools across the country will use some remote learning because of the concrete crisis. Ministers havebeen accused of covering up evidence for months about crumbling concrete at a Scottish school, and Whitehall sources say the findings helped trigger the dramatic warnings in England last week.
The National Education Union (NEU), representing teachers, described the situation as absolutely disgraceful and warned of massive disruption to the education of thousands of children.
Mark Dixon, 52, a teacher and academic author from Durham, is among a number of parents who told the Guardian that their childrens schools would not be opening this week over safety concerns.
My eldest childs school has been completely shut down, he said. The school is really trying their best, we are moving to remote learning in the short term, with no long-term plan published as yet. I understand that Durham University and Durham LEA [the local education authority] have been in touch with an offer of help alongside parents, but the logistics of safely re-accommodating 1,500 secondary pupils must be beyond difficult.
