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Calls For Government School Fund To be Used on Asbestos Problem

Calls For Government School Fund To be Used on Asbestos Problem

 

This week the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson made a statement pledging to invest £1bn across 50 major school building projects with a further £560m for repairs to crumbling infrastructure. This does however follow the National Audit Office identifying at least £6.7bn in repairs and fixes needed across the 21,000 schools in England, almost seven times the government pledge.

In the UK there are 3,000 schools designed in the late 1950s that are known as Consortium of Local Authorities Special Programme (CLASP) schools, these were previously very popular models that used light steel frames and were insulated using large amounts of asbestos in the support columns of the structure. However, these buildings were meant to last just 40 years, but many still remain standing after this intended lifetime has passed – even after the UK’s total asbestos ban in 1990 – approaching 70 years of use.

It is apparent that school children, school staff and parents are all still facing the risks caused by the presence of asbestos in a high number of school buildings. A report published by the think tank, ResPublica, recently showed how teacher deaths are on the rise, and fast due to prolonged period of low-level asbestos exposure, these teachers are five times more likely than average to develop mesothelioma!

It is clear that removing the dangerous substance from our schools should be a top priority with this pledge to improve the schools in the UK.

You can find out more in the below articles:

https://www.tes.com/news/ps1bn-school-building-fund-must-expel-asbestos-forever

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-53215221

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