No schools on the Isle of Wight are affected by the Government’s decision to close buildings built with a certain type of concrete, it has been confirmed.
Concerns have been raised that school buildings created with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) could collapse at any moment, due to deterioration. This type of concrete is prone to collapse, sparking safety fears.
The Government has announced this afternoon (Thursday) that over 100 schools across England must close their buildings to pupils, just days before the start of the new academic year.
However, Island Echo has moved quickly to establish that the Isle of Wight is unaffected by today’s announcement.
The Isle of Wight Council has confirmed that no local schools are built from this type of concrete.
Education Secretary Gillian Keegan has said:
“Nothing is more important than making sure children and staff are safe in schools and colleges, which is why we are acting on new evidence about RAAC now, ahead of the start of term.
“We must take a cautious approach because that is the right thing to do for both pupils and staff.
Article continues below this advertisement “The plan we have set out will minimise the impact on pupil learning and provide schools with the right funding and support they need to put mitigations in place to deal with RAAC.”
Does that make sense as at the beginning it says that ‘The Governement has decided to close buildings’ and then it states ‘100 schools across England must not close’.
Thanks for updating IE.
Eggoctly, back in my day we built with asbestos and nobody complained
Meanwhile my primary school in Poland with corridors wide enough to match spec of a hospital (so it can act as one during pandemic) and with basements (changing and locker rooms) to spec with air shelter is still going strong 70 years after it was build by communists. For all the 99% they got wrong, those schools were really the awesome 1% they did right. I really wish we could spec out newly built schools in UK to similar standards.
If IWC say no schools are affected.. then I would want a professional inspection by qualified engineers before I would listen to anything from the house of chaos .. still they intend closing schools and selling of the land to pay for the West Wight school with interest … Remember the Christ the King 6th Form fiasco ..
This concrete has been in use between 1950 to 1995.
If the school is still standing then the entire school won’t immediately collapse.
Use the school field to house mobile classrooms, or send some kids over to Yarmouth and Totland school where they both sit empty.
How many schools in the UK are sitting empty we wonder.?
They have had all summer to sort this out but have left it until the last moment.
Open the skools up, get the kids tort the free Rs.