Demand to disclose which schools have been impacted by the concrete scandal as the new school year begins.

The Department for Education is facing intense pressure to reveal how many schools were affected by the aerated concrete scandal. With the start of the new school year, parents and teachers are concerned that the government has still not released a full list of the schools that were forced to close due to the presence of unsafe reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Labour has accused the Department for Education of being in ‘complete chaos’ and is threatening to force a vote in the House of Commons to ensure the full list of affected schools is published. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt attempted to reassure parents that the government would ‘spend what it takes’ to address the problem, but Treasury sources later said the repairs would come from the Department for Education’s existing capital budget.

The scandal has forced more than 100 schools and colleges to fully or partially close their buildings. Even more classrooms could be forced to close as further assessments are made of the risks of RAAC in buildings, the government has admitted. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt faced a grilling over how the RAAC repairs would be funded, and many schools, including Hornsey School for Girls in London, are undergoing emergency repairs.

Shadow Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said the government’s lack of transparency was a ‘scandal’, and that it was ‘vital’ for the full list of affected schools to be published ‘as soon as possible’. Some schools have taped off rooms, and it is clear that damage has been done inside Parks Primary School in Leicester.

Education Secretary Gillian Keegan will face the morning broadcast round today for the first time since the schools crisis emerged, and will inform parliament this week of the government’s plans. Remote learning for children unable to access face-to-face lessons should last ‘days, not weeks’, the government has said, but the exact timeline for the disruption is still unknown.

Schools have been encouraged to use community centres, empty office buildings or other schools while structural supports are installed to mitigate the risk of collapse. However, unions are angered by the government’s lack of clarity about which costs will be covered, and Bridget Phillipson said she was concerned that ‘raiding’ the DfE’s budget to fund repairs could have a negative effect in the long-term.

The scandal has affected schools in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland as well, with the Scottish government saying RAAC is present in 35 schools, but not posing an ‘immediate risk’ to pupil safety. The Welsh government said councils and colleges have not reported any presence of RAAC.

As the school year begins, the Department for Education is under intense pressure to reveal exactly how many schools have been affected by the aerated concrete scandal. The government must be transparent and upfront about the scale of the crisis, so parents can know what is going on and teachers can continue to provide quality education.

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