Furious heads march against cuts in funding
ALMOST 2,000 head teachers marched on Downing Street yesterday in a rare show of anger over school budget cuts.
The normally conservative heads massed in front of Parliament before handing a petition to Chancellor Philip Hammond.
They claim pupils’ education will be held back as more than a quarter of schools report a budget deficit.
Heads say they cannot afford to recruit staff and lessons are being held in overcrowded classrooms, using substandard equipment.
Rob Kelsall, national secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers, said schools even have to appeal to pupils’ parents for cash.
“We are seeing schools having their funds depleted, dipping into their reserves, and having to send out begging letters to parents,” he said.
Andy Mellor, head of St Nicholas Church of England primary in Blackpool and NAHT president, said his school was “pared to the bone” after five years of cuts.
“We have lost staff, we have lost teaching assistants, we are cut to the bone,” he said.
Mr Mellor added: “I have been in the profession for 30 years and I’ve never done anything like this before.”
Paul Whiteman, NAHT general secretary, said: “It’s a fantastic turnout and although it’s supported by the unions, it’s not arranged by them.”
In July, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said school spending per pupil had fallen by about eight per cent in England between 2009/10 and 2017/18.
A Department for Education spokeswoman said: “There is more money going into schools than ever before, rising to a record £43.5billion by 2020 – 50 per cent more in real terms per pupil than in 2000.”