Teachers urge action on asbestos threat

23/04/2007 : go back

Thousands of schools built before the mid-1970s have potentially lethal levels of asbestos in the fabric of their buildings, teaching unions warn today. Parents will be asked to join teachers' campaigns to speed up the removal of the dangerous substance. Petitions and letter-writing campaigns "organised responsibly so as not to cause panic" might help tackle the threat to staff and pupils, the National Union of Teachers says in a briefing for health and safety representatives.