Tuesday, 29 October 2024

 Aiv PUGLIELLI (North-Eastern Metropolitan) (12:52): (1180) My question is to the Minister for Education. A teacher recently contacted me regarding their deep concerns about asbestos in our schools. They wish to remain anonymous, but here is what they have told me:

I currently work at a school that is fifty years old and contains asbestos. The education department claims that it is safe to work around, but the infrastructure is old and frequently falling apart. There have been a number of instances where parts of the roof have collapsed, exposing teachers and students to asbestos. Furthermore, I also know a fellow teacher who has contracted a cancer known to be caused by asbestos exposure. While it is possible he contracted the illness elsewhere, their diagnosis has added to my belief that asbestos in our schools is a looming emergency.

Minister, with respect to schools in the North-Eastern Metropolitan Region, what are you doing to ensure that school staff and students are never exposed to asbestos that may be uncovered in ageing school buildings?