Ministers have given responsible bodies for schools a four-day deadline to respond to a survey about potential RAAC and warned that information about schools where there is still uncertainty is likely to be published.
In a letter seen by Tes, minister for the school system and student finance Baroness Barran has written to responsible bodies to urge them to reply to a questionnaire confirming whether RAAC is present in their buildings.
The letter reads: “I would remind you that you are the body responsible for the maintenance and safety of your school buildings. Given the new advice that we issued last week, it is imperative that you return the questionnaire by 8 September.
“The DfE is likely to be required to publish information about schools which have RAAC, schools which do not, and schools where there is still uncertainty.”
It was sent out by the department yesterday.
It comes as education secretary Gillian Keegan said on Monday that around 5 per cent of responsible bodies hadn’t returned the questionnaires sent out in March 2022.
In the letter, Baroness Barran says: “We have repeatedly requested that this questionnaire be completed.”
Ministers advise that the questionnaire should take 10 to 15 minutes to complete per school.
Ms Keegan appeared on Jeremy Vine’s Radio 2 show on Tuesday afternoon and said it was “annoying” that some schools had not yet responded to the survey. “Hopefully, all this publicity will make them get off their backsides,” she added.
Her latest comments have been criticised by union heads.
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT school leaders’ union, said: “Any attempt to start shifting the blame onto individual schools will be seen by parents and public for what it is: a desperate attempt by the government to deflect from its own significant failings.
“The facts are clear: the current crumbling school estate is the direct result of ministerial decisions to slash capital budgets.
“The fact that we now have classroom ceilings held up by metal poles and classrooms put out of use completely is a reflection of the neglect and cuts we have been warning about for years. The responsibility for this situation sits squarely on the government’s shoulders and no amount of deflection and distraction will change that.”
Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “This is the education secretary’s second display of petulance in consecutive days - albeit on this occasion without the swear words attached - and isn’t very helpful.
“Schools have been expected to identify RAAC even though this is a specialist field and are unlikely to have staff who are experts in this area.
“They have received minimal help from the DfE, which will have known which schools have not returned surveys for several months and which has had ample time to reach out to them. The education secretary would do better to provide support rather than blame.”
The DfE has been approached for comment.
