After the government ordered 147 schools to immediately shut buildings made with aerated concrete that is liable to sudden collapse, potentially thousands of pupils in England are missing out on a return to school this week or are beginning the term taking lessons remotely or in temporary buildings.
Twenty-four schools across the country will use some remote learning because of the concrete crisis. Ministers havebeen accused of covering up evidence for months about crumbling concrete at a Scottish school, and Whitehall sources say the findings helped trigger the dramatic warnings in England last week.
