At the start of the school year, British authorities have ordered more than 150 schools to close part or all of their buildings due to deteriorating concrete.
According to Euronews, the material in question, autoclaved aerated concrete reinforced with steel, was widely used in the UK for constructing low-rise buildings from the 1950s to the 1990s. Despite being a cheaper and lighter alternative to conventional concrete, it typically has a lifespan of only 30 to 40 years.
Rishi Sunak, the UK Prime Minister, has faced criticism for his government's delay in addressing these safety concerns.
"New information came to light relatively recently, and it's crucial that once it did, the government took action as swiftly as possible. I understand the urgency of the matter, but I want to convey the magnitude of the issue we're dealing with. In England, there are around 22,000 schools, and it's important to note that we anticipate that 95% of these schools will not be affected by this problem."
Sunak, who has been accused of significantly reducing funding for the English school recovery program in 2021 during his tenure as head of the Treasury, vehemently denied this allegation.
"I believe that this is entirely and absolutely inaccurate," he stated. "In fact, one of my initial actions as Chancellor was to announce a new 10-year plan to renovate 500 schools. This means that approximately 50 schools will be refurbished or rebuilt each year. When you examine what we accomplished over the past decade, it aligns entirely with our historical practices - roughly 50 schools renovated or reconstructed each year."
Consequently, school administrations are now urgently seeking ways to accommodate students, and it is expected that some will revert to online learning.
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