Two thirds of teachers work in leaking classrooms

Two thirds of teachers responding to a National Education Union (NEU) survey have stated they work in buildings which have leaks from the rain, and for one in ten this is a “severe” issue.

The NEU's latest survey of over 8,000 National Education Union (NEU) members was conducted ahead of its Annual Conference in Bournemouth last week.
    
A third of teacher respondents said that young people are being taught in severely overheated conditions in the summer, and for one in six (16 per cent) their workplace generates severely cold working conditions in the winter. Almost a third more say that for them this is a “moderate” issue.  

Fifty-seven per cent of teachers said that issues with facilities negatively impact the learning environment for their students.

For 41 per cent of teacher respondents, signs of vermin or pests in their workplace are apparent, while over a quarter reported leaks of sewage or waste water.

Forty-five per cent of respondents report mould or damp in their workplace – conditions which are known to cause respiratory illness – with a fifth (21 per cent) describing the mould or damp as moderate or severe.

Commenting on the findings of the survey, Daniel Kebede, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “There are limits to a culture of ‘make do and mend’, and the line that should not be crossed is when it comes to our nation’s children. As this survey shows, pupils are routinely being taught in conditions that have a negative impact on their learning and could even impact their health.

“This is by no means the fault of school leaders, who are doing the best they can with the facilities and budgets they have. 70% of schools are financially worse off in real terms than in 2010. Leaks and ventilation are a chronic issue for many. The fact is that this Government has neglected school and college buildings for fourteen years.

“At the present rate of 50 schools per year, the Government’s School Rebuilding Programme will take 460 years to complete its work. That is many more generations of children to fail.

“This must change. We need to see a serious injection of new money into projects that will regenerate the school estate and ensure that asbestos, RAAC and time spent learning in portacabins are a thing of the past. If this Government was serious about education and the wellbeing of staff and students, then it would do so."