Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP

Potentially-dangerous Reinforced Aerated Autoclaved Concrete (RAAC) is yet to be removed from 90% of affected schools and the Government admits it may take up to five years to mitigate the problem.

Just 30 schools out of the 237 confirmed to contain RAAC have successfully had it removed by Government mitigation programmes, the Liberal Democrats have revealed, leaving 90% with the dangerous concrete still in place.

RAAC was the cause of three sudden roof collapses in UK schools in 2023, after which the Government pledged funding to remove the material.

But, according to the Lib Dem study, 207 schools of the 237 identified to contain the dangerous material are yet to have it removed.

Grants allocated by the Government have removed RAAC from 30 schools, Stephen Morgan, Under-Secretary of State for Early Education, said, and 122 more have been included on the Schools Rebuilding Programme (SRP).

But he admitted that the SRP interventions could each take ‘three to five years to complete’ – raising concerns about disruption to pupils’ education, as the Liberal Democrats estimates that five years of rebuilding programmes could affect up to 68,000 pupils.

The Lib Dems are now pressuring the Government to set out a plan to speed up the SRP so that fewer students experience disruption.

Liberal Democrat education spokesperson, Munira Wilson MP, said: “Thousands of children are studying in dangerous schools or inadequate temporary buildings, with the timeline for repair stretching on for years.

“This generation of young people saw unprecedented disruption to their education under COVID, so the fact that 90% of schools are yet to see action to remove RAAC is deeply concerning.

“This Government must act swiftly to end the crumbling schools scandal, and it seems that neither the RAAC removal grants nor the School Rebuilding Programme are delivering with the urgency we need.

“The Government must set out a plan to speed up the Schools Rebuilding Programme so that students across the country can get back to their classrooms, halls, and sports and arts facilities.”

Answering a Parliamentary question put forward by Wilson, Labour’s Stephen Morgan said there are over 22,000 schools and colleges in England and the number with confirmed RAAC was 237, or around 1%.

He added: “The department has committed to resolving this problem of RAAC as quickly as possible.

“We provide capital funding, guidance, and support to help responsible bodies and their schools effectively manage their school buildings.

“It is the responsibility of those who run schools – academy trusts, local authorities, and voluntary-aided school bodies – to ensure their schools are safe, well maintained, and compliant with relevant regulations, and alert the department if there is a significant concern with a building.”

He said that, as of 27 November 2024, 30 schools where works are being delivered by responsible bodies via grant funding have confirmed they have permanently removed RAAC.

And 122 schools with confirmed RAAC have been included in SRP.

“Once a school enters delivery, a project team will carry out a feasibility study which will determine the scope of the works,” Morgan said.

“SRP projects take on average 3-5 years to complete.”

A Department for Education spokesperson added: “Driving high and rising school standards is at the heart of our mission to improve children’s life chances, and high-quality and sustainable buildings are a key part of that.

“For too long our school estate has been neglected – but this government is now gripping the issue, ensuring our schools are fit for the future.

“That’s why, despite having to take difficult decisions at the Budget to fix the foundations, we are increasing investment next year to £2.1bn to improve the condition of school buildings, and will be starting work on another 100 projects under the School Rebuilding Programme next year.

“Targeted funding is being provided to schools affected by RAAC to resolve issues and help ensure the safety of all children, including supporting them with temporary provision so every child has a suitable education.”