More money needed for education

A campaign has been launched to highlight the crisis that is hitting all our schools.

This is not just in B&NES but it is a national problem. So why, in the sixth wealthiest country in the world, are our schools struggling to make ends meet?

It is very simply that the government is not funding schools adequately. The government will say that more money has been given to schools.

This however doesn’t take into account that there are more pupils to deal with. Also that there are extra costs such as salaries, pension contributions and National Insurance contributions.

Schools even have to pay an apprenticeship levy which is aimed at businesses providing job opportunities for young people. All this means schools have been given a 2% rise in funding for an 11% increase in costs. No wonder schools can’t manage!

They are being asked to do more and more with less money. No wonder they are in crisis.

So what does this mean for our schools? It means that staff who leave are not replaced. This in turn leads to bigger class sizes. Resources are cut, meaning lessons like art won’t happen because there aren’t enough crayons. The Special Needs Budget isn’t enough to meet the needs of Special Needs children, many of whose needs are not being met.

Despite all this, the staff in our schools do a magnificent job in providing the best education they can for our children, but their job is becoming more and more difficult.

We need to back this national campaign to get more funding for our schools.

The campaign is calling on Parliament to take immediate action to stop these funding cuts and to give our schools the money they need to run a proper education system. Politicians listen to parents, grandparents and concerned residents.

Contact your MP now about this situation and demand more money for our schools. There is money, it just needs the political will to make it happen. Remember how Theresa May found millions for Northern Ireland to keep herself in power. Our children deserve this money too.

So contact Wera Hobhouse by email office@werahobhouse.co.uk or by post to House of Commons, London, SW1A 0AA.