Cash crisis hits Esher and Walton schools
A mum of four, as well as a Vice Chair of Governors at a local school, I’ve seen how Tory funding cuts are impacting our schools at first hand. You may have seen the A mum of four, as well as a Vice Chair of Governors at a local school, I’ve seen how Tory funding cuts are impacting our schools at first hand. You may have seen the head teacher from Tolworth Girls’ School on the news last week, revealing she has had to personally clean school toilets and serve as a dinner lady in the face of worsening budget shortages. This is totally unacceptable.
Unfortunately, Tolworth is not the only local school experiencing difficulties. Ben Bartlett, head teacher at Hinchley Wood School, sent a letter to parents on Friday afternoon about the lack of funding. Headteachers are having to make difficult decisions which will impact on performance and outcomes. Some schools are closing early on Fridays because they can’t afford to stay open, while others are forced to reduce the number of subjects. Since 2010 we’ve seen an 8% cut to school budgets, 20% in post 16 education and schools are struggling to afford the most basic supplies. It’s a sorry state of affairs.
Head teachers are resilient, work long hours and do the best for their students. But, the scale of the funding issues they are now faced with is forcing them to take urgent action. Given they are non-political, these letters representing thousands of schools across the country and millions of families, show the utter desperation head teachers are feeling. They are on the front line, bearing the ultimate responsibility of educating the next generation. So, I think, the very least we can do is equip them with the proper tools to do the job. That means cash to pay the cleaners, money to fix leaking roofs and textbooks to teach the curriculum. It also means proper funding of children’s services and SEN provision so that this extra workload doesn’t become the responsibility of the teachers.
It continues to be a very challenging environment for all our schools, but the Tories are doing nothing to address the situation. The Education Secretary won’t even meet with head teachers to discuss their concerns, because his time is too “pressurised”. There is only so much our hard-working teachers can do, without the funds to do it. It really comes down to how much we value our kids' futures. Let’s reverse these Tory cuts and demand better for our children. Together we can build a future they will thank us for.
If you demand better, join my campaign by emailing me or please make a donation - it can really make a difference.
Thank you,
Monica