Letter: Union campaign over school funding is not scaremongering

Dear Daniel

You are aware of the current campaign regarding school funding being run jointly by NUT and ATL.

In fact, one of my members emailed you recently regarding the effect it would have on schools within your constituency. You described our campaign as "irresponsible scaremongering". I wish to highlight why this is far from the case.

Philip Hammond, in the Autumn Statement, reaffirmed the government's intention to cut schools' and colleges' budgets by eight per cent in real terms by 2020. This, coupled with the higher pension and national insurance costs being imposed creates a funding crisis.

Nationally and locally, there are already significant problems in schools and colleges as a result of insufficient funds. Teacher pay and conditions remain under attack and there is a recruitment and retention crisis. In the sixth form college sector, there were 14 per cent cuts under the coalition government so a further eight per cent will be unsustainable. SEND and early years need to be properly funded.

Mr Hammond did commit £50 million in new capital to support the grammar schools regarded as so important by Teresa May. All evidence points to these schools increasing the divide in our society between rich and poor and will do nothing for the vast majority of the nation's young people. Without significant extra resources any new funding formula will simply lead to less money being spread out in slightly different proportions. The NUT has estimated that 92 per cent of schools will be worse off. It may or may not be true that Shropshire is less affected than London, say, but these cuts are so severe that that is of no comfort.

We estimate that by 2020 schools in Shropshire will face losing £8,729,248 overall. The worse five affected schools in Shropshire appear to be Longlands Primary School, Woodside Primary School, The Wilfred Owen School, Grange Primary School and Crowmoor Primary School and Nursery. Parents need to be made aware of the threats to schools. Our schools cuts website is an invaluable tool for them: www.schoolcuts.org.uk

If you can provide evidence that in fact schools in Shropshire will be better funded overall and in particular, I would be most interested to read it.

Jean Evanson, Division Secretary, NUT Shropshire

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