Sarah Kilpatrick, deputy general secretary of the National Education Union will deliver the keynote address at the 2026 BMTA Asbestos Conference.
The National Education Union has been vocal on the lack of attention to asbestos in the Government’s Education Estates Strategy.
Commenting on the publication of the government’s Education Estates Strategy: a decade of national renewal, Daniel Kebede, NEU General Secretary said, “The publication of the Education Estates Strategy should not be allowed to overshadow the Education Select Committee’s report, also out today, which casts successive governments in a poor light. Although there are many welcome elements in the government’s strategy document, shockingly there is not one single mention of asbestos, despite the deadly substance being present in 80 per cent of schools. We urge the Government to stop playing fast and loose with the lives of children and staff and make asbestos removal a priority.”
Kilpatrick will address the conference on the NEU’s concerns around the levels of asbestos in schools and the organisation’s suggestions for tackling the issue.
The conference takes place on 30 June at 3M in Bracknell. Book your place now.