7,158 schools are crumbling
1 in 3 are in need of urgent repairs
ALMOST one in three schools in England require essential repair work, including 366 in Cabinet ministers’ constituencies.
A Government study reveals 7,158 sites have building components such as a roof, window or wall deemed to be at “serious risk of imminent failure” or to have expired.
In Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi’s seat of Stratford-uponavon, Warks, 16 schools have buildings in urgent need of repair. Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s constituency of Uxbridge and South Ruislip in West London has 19 crumbling schools, while Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s seat of Richmond, North Yorks, has 21 with elements that require immediate repair.
In Tiverton and Honiton in Devon, where the Tories face a byelection battle a week on Thursday, 12 sites urgently need fixing.
And the true scale of the problem may be even worse because the survey was carried out between 2017 and 2019.
The Department for Education began a repeat of the study last year but ministers have so far refused to publish updated stats.
Cold
Labour’s Rachael Maskell said Tang Hall Primary Academy in her York constituency had to introduce hoodies and mittens because it was so cold.
Other local schools reported falling masonry and leaky pipes.
And Tory MP James Daly said pupils at Derby High School in his constituency had buckets next to them in class to catch rainwater leaking through the ceiling.
The Lib Dems’ education spokeswoman Munira Wilson said: “Ministers are too busy propping up Boris Johnson to tackle issues like repairing schools. They are ignoring warnings from their own officials that some buildings are unsafe.”
The Department for Education said: “The safety of pupils and staff is paramount. We have allocated over £13billion since 2015 to improve the condition of school buildings and facilities, including £1.8bn this financial year.”