‘No promise classrooms to reopen’ until full inspection
INVESTIGATIONS into the safety of 42 school buildings where structural concerns were raised are to be completed by the end of today, Education Minister Joe McHugh has confirmed.
Mr McHugh, who was briefed by department officials yesterday, said inspections would be completed by “close of business”, to be analysed ahead of pupils returning to school next Monday.
“We will have all initial assessments complete, so that puts us in a very good position in terms of analysing that data, and obviously to continue that communication with the principals and the school communities,” Mr McHugh said.
However, as it is an “evolving situation” the minister said a guarantee that all affected pupils would have a classroom to return to in just six days’ time could only be given after all assessments were received.
“I can say that [in] all the schools that have been assessed and fully assessed we are putting in solutions for those,” Mr McHugh said.
“But because it is such an evolving situation there are still schools that need to be assessed and that will be evolving. As soon as we get that information we will be in touch with the schools.”
More than half the schools have been inspected so far with just three being closed or partially closed. Engineers are continuing to analyse the inspection reports received in relation to those.
A spokesperson for the department said the outcome for the majority of schools already inspected was positive and they would likely reopen as planned.
Additional checks are being carried out on some of the schools already inspected, delaying the full publication of feedback from the first batch of around 20 schools already inspected.
Western Building Systems (WBS), the construction company behind the schools in question, said it was continuing to engage with department officials as to why the inspections were launched in the first place.
“We are committed to better understanding why schools previously certified as substantially complete and suitable for occupation and which also had defects certificates subsequently issued by the department’s advisors are now being assessed by the department,” it said.
Mr McHugh said his main focus was on pupil and staff safety but the question of accountability and costs had yet to be answered, and “litigation is obviously a road we’re examining as well”.