It is good to see that the schools budget crisis which could see the loss of hudreds of teaching and teaching assistant jobs, narrowing of the curriculum and larger class sizes is becoming a prominent election issue.
Ahead of the Education Question Time event I publish here the submission made by Caroline Lucas MP tin March o the consultation on the new school funding formula. Although the context is Brighton many of the issues also apply to Brent:
Submission
from Caroline Lucas MP, Brighton Pavilion
Introduction
Ahead
of this submission, I have contacted the Head Teachers serving the children and
young people in Brighton Pavilion constituency to ask for their views.
The message back in response from Head Teachers is clear and consistent:
- School funding is in crisis
- Current budgets are unsustainable
- School budgets are being pushed beyond breaking point
One
Head with ten plus years’ experience told me the impending crisis is
“unprecedented”.
This
is also the message in a letter, dated 13 March, signed by 44 Brighton and Hove
Head Teachers and sent to all 3 Brighton and Hove MPs. The letter is
included as Appendix One to this submission. Appendix Two includes a
letter and statement from the Brighton City Partnership for Education, which is
sent jointly with 13 other counties. The Education Partnerships sets out
in stark terms the dismay felt by school leaders over the Government’s decision
to continue to divert significant monies to Free School provision and Grammar
School expansion when this does not always guarantee value for money.
They refer to Department for Education (DfE) “decisions that seem to
entirely ignore the wishes and needs of dedicated and committed school
leaders”. I urge Ministers to listen to the very genuine and persuasive
concerns of education professionals.
