Warning

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By Anthony Reuben and Robert CuffeBBC News

The government says it closed down parts of England's schools due to new evidence surrounding unsafe concrete.

But problems with RAAC (reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete) have been known about for some Time .

How long have we known?

RAAC - a lightweight material that was used mostly in flat roofing, but also in floors and Walls - was widely used in schools, colleges and other buildings from The 1950s until The mid-1990s.

The government it has been aware of public buildings that contain RAAC since 1994.

The use of RAAC effectively came to an end two years later, following a 1996 from The Building Research Establishment (BRE) - a formerly government-owned research laboratory.

RAAC roof planks designed before 1980 were found to have excessive cracking and corrosion, The Report found.

The planks were used in flat roofs because they were lightweight and easy to install.

However, The BRE's Report also Said : " there is no evidence So Far to suggest that RAAC planks pose a safety hazard to building users".

When did concern grow?

In 2018 - More Than 20 years after The BRE's Report - a concrete block of a school in Kent. That incident prompted The government to start monitoring The condition of schools with RAAC.

The Department For Education (DfE) had already started inspecting The conditions in School Buildings since 2017. These inspections were completed in 2019 and Jonathan Slater - The Top civil servant in The Department at The Time - Said it led them to conclude that between 300 and 400 schools needed replacing each Year .

Two years later, The government announced it would rebuild 500 schools over The Next Decade - which is only about 50 a Year .

In May 2019, The Standing Committee on Structural Safety (SCOSS) - a body Set Up to spot risks to building safety - Warning that RAAC planks from before 1980 had now passed their expected service life.

It added that schools should consider replacing them.

In 2022, The DfE sent a questionnaire to The bodies responsible for maintaining School Buildings , such as local authorities and academy trusts, about The use of RAAC.

Then in The summer of 2023, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan Said that three incidents led her to take Action - just days before The new school Year was due to begin.

What has happened to funding?

In his, Mr Slater also accused The government of cutting The schools' repair budget despite A Warning of a " critical risk to life" from crumbling concrete.

The chart above is The DfE's overall investment budget, adjusted for rising prices. That's investment in things like buildings and Computer Systems for schools and universities, rather than salaries or energy bills.

It rose pretty steadily under Labour. They ran a scheme called Building Schools for The Future that brought spending to a peak in 2010 and was shut down by The Conservative-led government shortly afterwards.

After This , investment started to fall until The Coalition government started its own building scheme in 2014.

Spending is expected to rise in The Coming years, but not back to 2010 levels.

On just The maintenance of schools, The government is now spending £15bn - or about £1. 7bn a Year - which covers " maintaining and improving The condition of School Buildings and grounds".

On top of that, The DfE has been spending about £0. 6bn a Year on rebuilding schools. This is set to increase over The Next few years.

However, all this is significantly less than The amount The DfE itself says is needed to bring School Buildings up to scratch.

The Department Said in 2020 it would need £4bn a Year for repairing, maintaining and rebuilding schools over The Next five years.

And that figure is at The low end of what The Office of Government Property, which supports The government in managing its estate, says is required. It estimates The figure needed is Somewhere Between £4bn and £8bn.

The National Audit Office in a 2023 Report : " Since summer 2021, [The ] DfE has assessed The Threat to safety in School Buildings as a critical risk" and that insufficient funding was making The Risk More severe.

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Source of news: bbc.com