Colchester City Council Leader Cllr David King has called for action on the RAAC crisis, which has forced several schools in the city to close or make alternative arrangements.
In an email to the Leader of Essex County Council (ECC) Cllr Kevin Bentley and Cllr Tony Ball, ECC Cabinet Member for Education Excellence, Cllr King said that there is “a very understandable concern from parents” about the issue. He urged the county council to press headteachers to keep parents and pupils fully informed about the risks, issues, and impact on learning and access to schools.
Cllr King also called on ECC to press the government to fulfil its promise to meet the costs of repairing the affected schools. He said that budgets are squeezed and that further damage to school resources could be avoided if the government provides the necessary funding.
“We must resolve these issues as quickly as possible,” Cllr King said. “After all of the loss of learning and disruption from the pandemic years, our children deserve better.”
Cllr King's call comes after it was revealed that more than 50 schools across Essex are affected by RAAC. The material is prone to collapse and has been linked to the closure or partial closure of more than 100 schools nationwide.
The government has said that it will provide funding to repair schools affected by RAAC, but it is not yet clear how much money will be available.
Cllr King said he was “extremely concerned” about the situation and that he wanted to see “urgent action” taken to address it, adding: “Parents and pupils deserve to know that their schools are safe, and that they will not be disrupted by this issue. I urge ECC to do everything it can to get this sorted out as quickly as possible.”
Page last reviewed: 8 September 2023