New data from School Cuts campaign run by the National Education Union shows the stark reality that our schools in England are continuing to face, 91% of schools have suffered a drop in their funding since 2015.
Locally, we have seen 73 out of 76 schools in West Berkshire have their funding cut and in Reading 41 out of 46 schools funding has been cut. This works out as an average cut of £379 per pupil in Reading and £298 per pupil in West Berkshire.
The School Cuts campaign is asking people to sign their open letter to the Prime Minister to ensure he keeps his promise of plugging the gap in school funding.
You can find the link here and check the impact on your own local school: http://schoolcuts.org.uk/take-action/
It is shocking the pressure these cuts place on our schools, including the one my own children attend. Despite their warm words these new figures show that here is no end in sight under the Conservatives. The government should be investing in our children not making schools cut back on teachers, support staff and whole subjects, not to mention activities and basic maintenance.
The councillor in Reading responsible for Education, Ashley Pearce, himself a teacher by profession says “Our schools in Reading have faced nearly a decade of funding cuts alongside cuts in teacher pay whilst workload has continued to rise. I have been to many of these schools, seeing and hearing first-hand the impact of these cuts on our children. Out of date buildings, teaching assistants let go, class sizes rising, teachers not being replaced, dwindling resources and in some cases, parents being asked for contributions. The Government needs to take responsibility, do the right thing and fund our schools properly.”