Seven unions have written to the government demanding immediate action to address the “shocking” state of school buildings in England, some of which are in danger of collapse.
It follows a call from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for full disclosure over exactly which school buildings are most at risk, and for urgent intervention to shore up those buildings most likely to structurally fail.
The letter suggests, however, that the Department for Education (DfE) does not know which schools are at greatest risk, that current assessments are “not thorough enough” and underlying structural problems may go unnoticed.
It points to research by the House of Commons library stating that between 2009-10 and 2021-22, overall capital spending on the school estate fell by about 37% in cash terms and 50% in real terms. As a result, ageing buildings – some containing asbestos – have become increasingly dilapidated and are now at risk of falling down.
The DfE acknowledged the crisis in its annual report, published in December, which said “there is a risk of collapse of one or more blocks in some schools which are at, or approaching, the end of their designed life expectancy, and structural integrity is impaired”.
