London, Thanasis Gavos

Disturbed and worried, parents and teachers in England say after the government’s announcement on Thursday that dozens of schools will have to remain closed at the start of the new school year next week, due concerns about the stability of school buildings.

The problem concerns buildings constructed with so-called Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Cement (RAAC).

Deputy Education Secretary Nick Gibb said on Friday morning that the collapse of an RAAC beam over the summer was the concern that led to the last-minute decision before the new school year.

A total of 156 schools are affected, with 52 at risk of immediate collapse.

However, the government is under heavy criticism because it made the decision just four days before schools opened for the new year, and because a list of the affected schools had not been made public until this morning.

Mr Gibb even admitted that the ministry had not even contacted all the affected schools until this morning.

The Ministry of Education was quick to note that the vast majority of school buildings are not affected. But the main opposition Labor spoke of a “stunning display of incompetence” by the government and the Association of Head Schools and Colleges commented that the announcement was a rushed last-minute move.

Schools that have RAAC in place but have taken safety measures, such as additional structural ceiling support or the use of alternative classrooms in the school complex, will be able to continue operating.

The decision means thousands of students in England will be forced to return to the days of the coronavirus pandemic, starting the school year with lessons online.