ASBESTOS is present in more than 65 per cent of schools in Sunderland, the Echo can reveal today.
Seventy nine out of the city’s 117 school buildings, including nurseries, contain the potentially deadly material.
Now concerns have been raised that delays to millions of pounds of funding, earmarked to rebuild many schools, is only increasing the risk of exposure to staff and pupils.
Many of Wearside’s school buildings, built in the mid 20th Century, have exceeded their original life-expectancy but are still being used to capacity.
The fear is that as the condition of these buildings continues to deteriorate so does the condition of the asbestos contained within them.
Part of Hetton School in Sunderland is currently closed after adverse weather conditions caused tiles in the roof to shift, disturbing the asbestos.
The school is among a number in the city due a share of a multimillion pound cash pot under the Government’s Priority Schools Building programme. But delays in its rebuild mean it will not receive the cash until 2015/16 at the earliest.
Of the schools on the Asbestos Register, 63 per cent are maintained by Sunderland City Council. The remaining are voluntary aided schools or academies where asbestos management is the responsibility of the governing bodies.
Many city schools are among the 14,210 built across the UK between 1945 and 1975. Some of these buildings contained a large amount of amosite, commonly referred to as “brown” asbestos and sometimes “gray” asbestos - one of the more hazardous forms of the material.
Undisturbed, and properly managed, asbestos is not deemed to be a risk. However, the continuing deterioration of many buildings has triggered alarm bells about potential exposure.
If asbestos is damaged then the fibres can be released and breathed in. A large exposure can cause mesothelioma.
Bridget Phillipson, MP for Houghton and Sunderland South, has already raised concerns about asbestos problems at Hetton School in Parliament.
She said today: “Too often our teachers are having to maintain schools rather than teach in them.
“Asbestos can be safely managed, but it does place additional burdens on school staff. It’s increasingly frustrating to teachers, pupils and parents that the government’s plans to rebuild schools like Hetton have failed to gain financial backing from the private sector.
“Michael Gove needs to lay out how his department will get the financing in place to rebuild those schools in greatest need.”
Michael Lees from the campaign group Asbestos in Schools was among those attending a committee meeting in Parliament last week to discuss the issue of asbestos.
Michael’s wife Gina was a school teacher, who died from mesothelioma, the form of cancer developed from exposure to asbestos. She was just 51 when she died 12 years ago.
Mr Lees said: “Many schools built when asbestos was commonly used were not designed to last the length of time they have.
“Those built during that period are now rapidly deteriorating and, as the condition of the school deteriorates, so does the condition of the asbestos in them.
“If the school has not been well maintained then a parent has every right to be concerned about their child.
“We don’t want to panic parents but they should be aware of the type and condition of asbestos in their child’s school.
“We are also concerned about asbestos in schools that have been turned into academies.
“Once they become academies, the governing body of the school, rather than the local authority, is responsible for the management of asbestos. However, many governing bodies are not trained to deal with this type of thing, or are even aware they have asbestos in the building to begin with.
Councillor Pat Smith, from Children’s Services at Sunderland City Council, said: Schools in Sunderland are subject to regularly condition monitoring as required by the Health and Safety Executive and council policy. Any risks are immediately identified and dealt with.
“These condition monitoring and management systems comply with current health and safety legislation, guidance and advice.
“Asbestos was a common building material in the past and is present in many public and private buildings. If asbestos is in good condition and unlikely to be disturbed it is often safer to leave it in place.
“Sunderland City Council is committed to the safety of pupils, staff and all users of our school buildings.”
Asbestos campaigners are now calling for a national school strategy to deal with the problem.
Schools list
Nursery schools
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Hetton Nursery
Hylton Red House Nursery
Houghton Nursery
Oxclose Nursery
Usworth Colliery Nursery.
Primary Schools
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Albany Primary School
Barnes Infants School
Barnes Junior School
Barnwell Primary School
Bernard Gilpin Primary School
Bexhill Primary School
Biddick Primary School
Bishop Harland Primary School
Blackfell Primary School
Broadway Junior School
Burnside Primary School
Dame Dorothy Primary
Diamond Hall Infant School
East Herrington Primary School
East Rainton Primary
English Martyrs RC Primary
Eppleton Primary School
Farringdon Primary School
Fulwell Infants School
Fulwell Junior School
Gillas Lane Primary
Grange Park Primary
Grindon Infants School
Hastings Hill Primary School
Hetton Primary School
Hill View Infants School
Hill View Juniors School
Holley Park Primary
Hylton Castle Primary
Hylton Redhouse Primary
JFK Primary
Lambton Primary
Mill Hill Primary
New Penshaw Primary
New Silksworth infants
New Silksworth Juniors
Our Lady Queen of Peace
Oxclose Village Primary
Plains Farm Primary
Redby primary
Richard Avenue Primary
Seaburn Dene Primary
Shiney Row Primary
Springwell Village Primary
St Annes RC Primary
St Bedes RC Primary
St Cuthberts RC Primary
St John Bosco RC Primary
St John Boste RC Primary
St Josephs Primary (Washington)
St Leonards RC Primary
St Marys RC Primary
Thorney Close Primary
Town End Primary
Usworth Colliery Primary
Usworth Grange Primary
Wessington Primary
Willowfields Primary
Secondary Schools
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Biddick School
Farringdon School
Hetton School
Houghton Keiper
Monkwearmouth School
Southmoor School
St Aidans School
St Anthonys School
St Robert of Newminster
Thornhill School
Special schools
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Barbara Priestman School
Maplewood School (Old one)
Springwell Dene School
Sunningdale school
Tudor Grove Centre
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