News

Government 'in denial' about asbestos problem

Governance and management
The government remains in “denial” about the scale of the asbestos problem in the country’s schools, a leading campaigner said this week after winning a prestigious award for his campaign to rid schools of the deadly substance. Dorothy Lepkowska reports.

The government remains in “denial” about the scale of the asbestos problem in the country’s schools, a leading campaigner said this week.

Michael Lees was speaking after receiving the Fred and Anne Jarvis Award from the National Union of Teachers (NUT) in recognition of his long-running campaign to rid schools of the deadly substance.

Mr Lees, whose wife Gina, a nursery school teacher, died of mesothelioma 12 years ago, received a standing ovation when he collected his award at the NUT’s annual conference in Brighton last month.

Around 75 per cent of UK state schools contain asbestos and more than 140 school teachers have died from the asbestos cancer mesothelioma in the past 10 years. 

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