British education secretary caught on cam hurling abuses over school concrete issue

British Education Secretary Gillian Keegan was caught on camera hurling expletives over the school concrete situation, forcing the official to issue an apology after the video caused an uproar.

After finishing an interview with ITV, Keegan was recorded saying that she had done a “f*** good job” over the schools’ concrete crisis while others “sat on their arse”.

“Does anyone ever say, you know what, you’ve done a f***good job because everyone else has sat on their arse and done nothing?," She was heard as saying. “No signs of that, no?”

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Keegan apologises

In a later interview, she apologised for her "off-the-cuff" remark, saying that she was irritated by a reporter's questions.

“I wasn’t really talking about anyone in particular. It was an off-the-cuff remark after the news interview had finished, or apparently after it had finished.

“I would like to apologise for my choice language, that was unnecessary.”

The controversy erupted at a time when as many as 104 schools and colleges were asked to shut down due to the risk of dangerous concrete collapses just before the start of the new 2023-2024 school year.

These institutions were built with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) — a type of light-weight concrete that was used extensively in roof, wall and floor construction from the post-war period right up until the mid-1990s, but particularly between the 1950s-1970s,mainly because it was cheaper and easier to produce.

Govt surveying schools

Though the UK government had been surveying the schools since 2018 when a collapse occurred, the order was necessitatedafter two to three more cases of failure of RAAC was reported in recent months.

The Department for Education said it is funding schools to either put in mitigation measures like propping, or to use alternative buildings.

Chancellor Jeremy Hunttold BBC Newson Sundaythat such money would come from existing unallocated budgets, not additional funding.

There are more than 20,000 schools in England.

Keegan’s 'off the air'comments were criticised as she suggested having taken more action than others to address the issue.

(With inputs from agencies)

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