Debbie backs ‘school cuts’ campaign

Debbie Abrahams MP

Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, has thrown her weight behind a campaign to challenge the Government’s plan to cut schools’ funding by £3bn in real terms by 2020.

The campaign – at www.schoolcuts.org.uk – has been started by the National Union of Teachers and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers who estimate that under the Government’s new funding formula 98% of schools could lose out leading to increased class sizes, loss of school staff, and cuts to extra-curricular activities and resources.

Debbie has also written to Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for Education, following a meeting last May with Schools Minister Nick Gibb MP, alongside Oldham colleagues Jim McMahon MP and Angela Rayner MP, to discuss the challenges schools are facing in their constituencies.

Debbie said: “I’ve asked Justine Greening to tell me just what discussions she’s having with her Treasury colleagues about additional funding for schools ahead of the Budget on 8th March, so we an be sure that all schools in Oldham East and Saddleworth, across Oldham and indeed around the country, have the funding needed to provide an excellent education for every child.”

Commenting on why she’s supporting the School Cuts campaign, Debbie said: “Every parent should be aware of just how much money their child’s school will lose under this Tory plan and that’s exactly what the School Cuts campaign website allows them to do.

“Just type in your postcode and see for yourself what the impact will be on your local schools.

“Frankly the figures are shocking.

“In my letter to Justine Greening I’ve explained my extreme disappointment to see cuts per pupil of 10% between 2015/16 to 2019/20 proposed in Oldham East and Saddleworth, under the new National Funding Formula.

“The new formula will see income per pupil in Oldham East and Saddleworth cut by £490 per pupil by 2019/20.

“What’s so galling about this is that the Conservative Manifesto in 2015 stated that ‘Under a future Conservative Government, the amount of money following your child into school will be protected’.

“This is yet another example of Tory lies.

“The reality is the maintenance of per pupil funding in cash terms has not been realised in 38 of 49 schools in Oldham East and Saddleworth.

“The failure to protect school budgets in real terms means that a number of inflationary and cost pressures will cause real terms cuts to the their budgets for the first time in two decades.

“The Office for Budget Responsibility has predicted inflation will rise sharply in the coming years.  This, combined with increased employer national insurance contributions, the impact of the apprenticeship levy, and the rising minimum wage, will amount to an 8% cut in per pupil spending by 2019-20 according to the National Audit Office, the same figure given by the independent Institute for Fiscal Studies.

“I am deeply concerned that despite the Government’s claims that the new National Funding Formula will ‘level the playing field’ it will do nothing of the sort.

“Instead making the playing field more unequal with schools seeing further cuts to their already struggling budgets, meaning spending per-pupil will fall, hindering their ability to reach their potential.

“I believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that an excellent education is fundamental to this. These cuts to the schools budget will mean that, for many children, this is simply not possible.

“The new National Funding Formula will make it extremely difficult for schools to not only meet the increased demand of pupil numbers rising but also to address the growing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.

“Many schools are already reporting losing staff as a result of these funding cuts, and cuts to staff are falling heavily on those in support roles. This will make it all but impossible for the Government to deliver on key pledges, including that all secondary schools should have staff trained to help address the mental health needs of pupils.

“How can schools plan to deliver all this against a background of funding cuts and staff shortages?”

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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