Tory funding decisions ‘left 70% of council schools facing real-terms cuts’

GOVERNMENT funding decisions have resulted in 70% of maintained schools in England facing real-terms cuts over the past decade, according to new research.

A School Cuts website run by education unions highlighted 14 years of spending cuts in primary and secondary schools.

The National Education Union, Association of School and College Leaders and National Association of Head Teachers called for urgent action to reverse the cuts.

At least £12.2 billion is needed to restore school spending power to 2010 levels, repair crumbling school buildings and tackle the crisis in special educational needs funding, said the unions.

Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said: “The effects of 14 years of austerity imposed by this Conservative government are clear for all to see.

“We have the largest class sizes in Europe.

“In September, children in more than 100 schools couldn’t start school on time because ceilings were falling in and posing a risk to their lives, and this year, yet again, the Government has failed to hit its teacher training recruitment targets for almost all secondary subjects.

“This neglect of education services has failed an entire generation of children; the Government must not fail another. We need to see substantial investment at the upcoming spring Budget.”

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “The

School Cuts website lays bare the impact of the Government’s underfunding of schools.

“The reality is that there are school and college leaders across the country, working from buildings that are no longer fit for purpose and being forced to calculate what extra cuts they are going to have to make in order to balance their budgets.

“The Government must make education a priority at the spring Budget, giving schools and colleges the investment they urgently need while addressing the worsening condition of buildings and the growing crisis in special educational needs funding.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Many schools are struggling to finance the basics, let alone to deal with crumbling buildings and support the growing numbers of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

“It is imperative that this spring Budget brings an end to more than a decade of underinvestment in schools and real terms funding cuts.”