RAAC: Pupils pulled out of Scottish school due to faulty concrete fears

Two parents have spoken about pulling their children out of the Dumfries and Galloway Council school due to fears over the safety risk posed by reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac)

Pupils have been pulled out of a school in the south of Scotland due to fears over the safety risk posed by faulty concrete.

At least 15 pupils have been taken out of classes at Gatehouse Primary, in Dumfries and Galloway, by their parents after reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) was found in the building.

A ‘teaching hub’ has been set up by parents in a nearby community centre in Gatehouse of Fleet as an alternative learning facility.

As many as 15 pupils have been withdrawn from Gatehouse Primary by their parents due to the faulty concrete issue. Picture: Michael Gillen

More than 300 Raac panels where found at the school, Dumfries and Galloway Council has said. Work has so far been carried out on 30 panels identified as critical and high risk.

The council said there was no need to provide temporary classrooms as mitigation work had been completed, with plans to replace all of the panels over the next three years.

But parent Kris Dickie said there was “too much risk involved”. He has taken his daughter Liv out of school until further investigations are carried out.

"The structural engineer's report clearly states that it needs further investigation so we can have a better understanding of the state that these panels are in,” Mr Dickie told the BBC. "They need to take the roof off or access into the roof space a lot more to get a lot more answers."

Raac – a construction material used between the 1950s and 1990s – has been found in 40 schools across Scotland, as well as in some hospitals, universities, colleges and other public sector buildings.

Rebecca Vasey, chairwoman of the Parent Teacher Association, has taken daughter Isabella out of the school.

She said: "It is really concerning for me that these Raac panels are 6m long over the children's heads in the classroom. I am not prepared to risk my daughter's life for that."

Dumfries and Galloway Council said the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) union had made it aware of the parental action.

"Our priority and commitment is to provide a positive, safe educational experience and it is one we take seriously," a council spokesperson said. "We are confident this is being and can be achieved within Gatehouse Primary School and have explained this rationale to parents and carers of learners who are enrolled at the school."