Parents are furious over a last-minute return to online learning as 104 unsafe school buildings have been ordered to close just days before the term starts. According to British media, a total of 104 schools have been told to close buildings made of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a widely used building material in the 1960s and 1970s that has a lifespan of 30 years and a texture comparable to the inside of an Aero chocolate bar. And a report in June said that more than 400 other schools could potentially be affected by the material’s use in the long term – putting an estimated 700,000 pupils at risk of being crushed by collapsing walls and ceilings. The Department for Education (DfE), which has not disclosed which schools are affected, says that a ‘minority’ of schools will have to ‘either fully or partially relocate’ to new accommodation while safety measures are installed. Parents reactions But frustrated parents have taken to social media, claiming it is ‘intolerable’ to instruct schools to address the issue this close to the start of term – with some schools due to start back from Friday.