More than 100 schools told to close buildings over safety fears

The responsibility first and foremost lies with the government. Schools cannot maintain school buildings if they are not supplied with adequate ring fenced funds.

We keep getting excuses about everything. I think it is time; whether dealing with crime, school maintenance, or the health service, we actually became more demanding, somethings are money but an awful lot these days is just excuses because people can't be bothered.

I agree with you mainly MOnica.

I'm beginning to think that there's an organised campaign by the government PR team to "blame" local authorities and schools for lack of maintenance. The more I read about the timeline, the more I think I could be right.

Some of these schools are still standing 20 or 30 years beyond their expected life, which would suggest that a good job has been done on patching up buildings which are no longer fit for purpose.

It has been known since the mid 1990s that the situation with RAAC was more serious than first thought and more recent reports have indicated the increasing urgency. Applications have been made to the government for capital funding, but have been turned down. Funding has been diverted from state schools to setting up "free" schools (the government's ideological flagships).

I've been reading an article by the Institution of Structural Engineers about the difficulties with maintaining RAAC. Constant (and expensive) monitoring is needed. Damage can be caused by running pipework and cabling through the RAAC panels, which can't be repaired easily. Even damp in the atmosphere can cause metal reinforcements to corrode, which leads to buckling and cracking and the panel's slipping off their supports. Even mitigating work can put additional stresses on panels, which then crack and/or crumble. Cover meters and radar can't be relied on to identify the dangers.

I'm not sure who you mean can't be bothered. It seems quite a lot of people have been very bothered about potential collapses over the last few years, but there just hasn't been the funding to do anything about it.

I think I said earlier that my alma mater in London has issues with RAAC. It was a 60s build, so probably in a long queue waiting to be safely reconstructed. It appears it was one of the lucky ones because a few years ago, it had its roof, facias and verge boards removed and replaced, along with gutters, downpipes etc. Moreover, as stated above as part of the job, the heating piping, trunkwork, electrical and lighting all had to be removed and replaced. The cost was £920k.
They have identified a small area of RAAC requiring attention in another part of the school buildings, but the amazing thing is that 1700 pupils, (we were an 8 form entry), are still going about their daily education undisturbed.
It can be done, and I hope what needs to happen will be done speedily and enduringly.

I’ve just read that RAAC was also used in housing, including in council houses which have subsequently been purchased. That will be a nasty shock for some house owners.

growstuff I mean people generaally are becoming indifferent to whether people are doing their jobs properly or not and similarly many people seem to think it is unreasonable to be expected to do their job properly if they cannot be bothered

This week I went into our local co-op to buy stamps at the post office counter. It was all lit up and obviously 'open', but there was no-one there. I looked around for the post master( it is a man), hung around and after about 5 minutes remembered that out of hours you could buy stamps at the till so went to the front of the store to see if I could get them and whether the post office was actually open.

When I spoke to the shop assistant, 2 elderly ladies who were chatting heard me and said that he was probably outside having a fag.

They seemed to think this was quite reasonable and said that his counter area was not large and must be confining. Actually it is well ventilated and in a corner of an air-conditioned store. When I said that as he was the post master and paid to be in the post office ready to serve customers during the opening hours and if I came in I expected him to be there, they thought my demands were quite unreasonable.

Once upon a time casual behaviour like this was considered quite unacceptable, sonething we left to other countries. Now however it seems quite acceptable and this kind of attitude pervades manyorganisations like the threads of dry rot.

Joseann

I think I said earlier that my alma mater in London has issues with RAAC. It was a 60s build, so probably in a long queue waiting to be safely reconstructed. It appears it was one of the lucky ones because a few years ago, it had its roof, facias and verge boards removed and replaced, along with gutters, downpipes etc. Moreover, as stated above as part of the job, the heating piping, trunkwork, electrical and lighting all had to be removed and replaced. The cost was £920k.
They have identified a small area of RAAC requiring attention in another part of the school buildings, but the amazing thing is that 1700 pupils, (we were an 8 form entry), are still going about their daily education undisturbed.
It can be done, and I hope what needs to happen will be done speedily and enduringly.

I wonder if this is C & C School. Yes, it can be done, but where do you suggest schools find £920k?

I suggest the money isn't "found" but allocated pronto to those schools in need like my London secondary school. It is my understanding that nominations are put forward by organisations responsible for school estates. My 1960s built comprehensive (as was) obviously qualified as being in dire need of significant refurbishment, so £920k was granted. All the RAAC buildings like this in urgent need of repair should receive high priority.
Not sure what C & C school means?