The Secretary of Education has issued an apology for her unsavoury language, which was unexpectedly caught on microphone, showcasing her exasperation surrounding the ongoing concrete crisis. Abruptly concluding an interview with ITV, Gillian Keegan inadvertently showcased her ire, capturing her frustrations in coarse language as she disparaged those who, in her opinion, had been ineffectual in their roles.
Keegan subsequently addressed her inadvertently publicised remark in another interview, expressing regret over her impromptu comments. She further explained her annoyance was instigated by an interviewer whose questions insinuated that she was solely culpable for the crisis. Keegan, vehemently disagreed, saying, “His accusations were exasperating – we’ve been striving to take a pioneering stance, to remain one step ahead of the crisis.”
Accompanying her frustrations was a palpable unease, as certain surveys dispatched to schools for information about their buildings had not yet been returned. When probed whether this was a veiled criticism of the schools’ inertia, Keegan assured her vexation was not intended for anyone specific.
While she did not anticipate personal gratitude for her initiatives, she commended her department’s persistent efforts in assuming a pivotal role in navigating the crisis. Simultaneously, she was subjected to rigorous questioning about whether the government had been making sufficient efforts in rectifying the issue with crumbling concrete, otherwise known as reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) prevalent in school structures.
It’s estimated over a hundred schools have been entirely or partially discontinued due to the associated risk. Nevertheless, the Education Secretary repudiated the idea that maintaining school buildings was the sole responsibility of the Department for Education. Instead, she emphasised local authorities and multi-academy trusts traditionally upheld this duty.
In a show of concern, she highlighted that after a school building collapsed in Kent in 2018, they had sent precautionary alerts to all designated responsible parties. She reiterated that regardless of the origin of responsibility, her department had chosen to probe schools for information relating to RAAC, to centralise data collection.
Political reactions ranged from accepting to critical. As per a Downing Street source, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak demonstrated his contentment towards Keegan’s apology. Although, Labour leader Keir Starmer pointed fingers at ministers for what he considered a drop in responsibility. Liberal Democrats representatives held equally strong sentiments, criticising the expectations for gratitude amid a crisis.
Simultaneously, Keegan faced light-hearted criticism in the House of Commons from Labour MP Dame Diana Johnson, who suggested installing a swear box at the Education Department if they needed additional funding.
Keegan defended her decision to take a holiday amidst the crisis, assuring that despite her location, she was on duty, and had conducted meetings during her break. “Occasionally, one has to carve out a moment for personal celebrations, like my beloved father’s birthday,” she stated earnestly.
Her apology formed part of the morning’s news coverage dominated by criticisms towards the government’s decision-making around school funding. Jonathan Slater, a former senior civil servant in the education department, suggested the budget for school repairs was halved in 2021. Keegan refuted such allegations stating that 95% of England’s 22,000 will not be impacted and the remaining schools will presumably be identified within the forthcoming weeks.