British Education Minister Gillian Keegan had an embarrassing accident during a television interview. On Monday, the Conservative politician responded to questions about dangerous construction defects at ITV schools – the issue has been worrying the British media for days at the start of the new academic year.
As soon as the interview ended – the camera was still rolling – she started complaining: “Has anyone ever said, ‘You did a really good job because everyone sat around and didn’t do anything’?” What Keegan probably didn’t expect: the network published the statement.
Shortly thereafter, she apologized for her language in another interview. They were spontaneous statements. She declined to elaborate on who she accused of inaction.
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In fact, it was the reporter’s fault who made her feel she was solely to blame for the misery, Keegan said. More than 100 school buildings in England had to be completely or partially closed just before the start of the school year because cellular concrete was used in them decades ago and is now giving way.
Sunak denies responsibility
British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has rejected allegations relating to a scandal surrounding dilapidated school buildings in Britain. Sunak on Monday denied allegations that he cut a school renovation program while he was finance minister, despite knowing the risks of faulty concrete used in construction.
A former senior Department for Education official, Jonathan Slater, accused Sunak on BBC radio of delaying a request for funding for additional schools as finance minister. The Department of Education should have improved up to 400 schools a year, but only had funding for 100, Slater said. In 2021, when Sunak was Chancellor of the Exchequer, the money was only available for 50 schools. But Sunak told reporters on Monday that Slater was “completely wrong”.
More than a hundred schools in which the corresponding type of concrete has been used in recent decades are now expected to keep the affected buildings closed. There is a risk of collapse due to the use of concrete. Sunak emphasized that 95% of the approximately 22,000 English schools were not affected. According to this calculation, the number of schools affected would be more than a thousand.
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The corresponding material was widely used in the construction of schools and universities between the 1950s and 1990s. After authorities identified the potential risk of collapse over time, the ministry warned schools in 2018 that measures were needed to reduce the risk.