A recent report has revealed a poor standard of asbestos identification and removal practices in Victorian schools.

Despite the state’s Education Minister insisting schools are “always safe”, internal figures show a significant presence of the potentially deadly material on school grounds. The issue gained a lot of attention in 2012 when a young girl’s mother found asbestos in her daughter’s pockets after returning home from school in Melbourne.

The cases emerged after Fairfax Media last week revealed department audits showing asbestos is widely prevalent in schools, with many buildings having to be cleaned up immediately to avoid ''substantial risk''

Victoria's WorkSafe authority show that in the past two years, 46 schools were put on notice for breaching occupational health and safety rules, renewing calls for a crackdown on the way asbestos is dealt with in the education system. WorkSafe lists licensed asbestos removalists online.