Nairn Academy asbestos contamination - 'Nairn Spelding' is not reassured by Highland Council's statement

'Do the Highland Council really expect parents to feel reassured by this statement that the asbestos in the Artex is low risk? It is incredible that these students are facing major disruption to their education weeks before they are due to sit final standard grade and higher exams.

And all the council can do is issue bland statements trying to quell what will be a rising tide of anger among the entire school community in Nairn.

When the Highland News revealed two years ago that teachers were banned from using tacks in walls the council gave assurances at the time that asbestos in all Highland Schools was being managed properly.

The latest crisis at Nairn Academy begs the question did the council register of asbestos show this material was on the ceiling and if so why were the contractors putting in these solar panels not informed It looks as if the Health and Safety officials are going to have a bean feast on this one.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to tell you workmen with heavy boots plodding over a flat roof are going to dislodge material below.

Had this happened when pupils were in class and had they and their teachers been covered in a plume of asbestos there would have been hundreds of very concerned families in this town.
And this is not over reaction. It is a ticking time bomb which successive governments have chosen to ignore.

Does it not make you wonder how Gordon Brown manages to produce mind boggling sums of money out of a hat to save the UK banking system when the figures it would take to tackle our crumbling schools are grains of sand by comparison.
The acting rector at Nairn Academy has done a great deal during his tenure.

But its again the deficiencies of the building and not the teaching staff which could conspire to scupper the promise of many talented young people who are about to embark on a programme of exams which could determine their very futures.

With maths and computing classrooms out of commission for three weeks this will mean extra pressure on accommodation in a school where pupils are already being taught in corridors.

Another debacle for our local politicians to ponder over. Hopefully they will be tackling officials head on and not accepting platitudes and excuses.

Nairn Spelding.'