LIGHTS OUT
»»Desperate schools take out LIGHTBULBS to cut bills »»Government is accused of ‘vandalising education’
SCHOOLS in England face a cash catastrophe driven by surging energy bills, rising inflation and unfunded pay deals.
Thirteen national education associations today published an open letter to Conservative MPs imploring them to keep the school funding crisis at the forefront of their thinking.
Dr Paul Gosling, president of school leaders’ union
NAHT and head teacher of a primary school in Exmouth, Devon, said: “I have a colleague who has taken out as many lightbulbs and light tubes as he can to save money.
We are trying to pull rabbits out of hats when the hats are very small and there are no rabbits about.
“The Government is too centred on its own internal politics. They are committing vandalism to education at the moment. It’s a real crisis.” The NAHT claims nine out of 10 schools will have
FEARS Dr Gosling
run out of cash by the next school year. Data from the union also shows that 50% of heads say their school will be in deficit this year.
This comes as Jeremy Hunt has stated all departments, including education, must make cuts.
The NAHT is to hold its first strike ballot in its 125-year history.
A survey found 55% want to be balloted on a full walkout and 84% on action short of a strike. Teachers have been offered a 5% rise – 8.9% for starters – but 2% of that rise must come from schools’ budgets.
Education funding is due to be 3% less, or £2billion, in real terms in 2024/2025 than 15 years earlier.
Yet it was a 2019 election promise that the Government would restore the figure to 2010 levels.
Dr Gosling added: “We have teaching assistants who are leaving to work in supermarkets.”
The NASUWT teaching union and National Education Union are also balloting over strike action.
A Department for Education spokesman said: “All schools will benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, giving them greater certainty over their budgets.”