Teaching or Heating? Cuts take their toll.

Derbyshire Dales Liberal Democrats are calling on the Chancellor to protect education spending, as shocking new figures show that schools in Derbyshire face cuts in their spending power of £12 million next year.

Liberal Democrats in Derbyshire have called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt not to make children and young people pay for the Conservatives' botched Budget by cutting school and college funding further during next week's Autumn Statement.

The figures, published this week by the 'School Cuts' campaign run by teaching unions, reveal that schools in Derbyshire will have £122 less to spend per pupil next year (2023/24) compared to this year (2022/23).

In total, 317 out of 397 schools in Derbyshire will see a reduction in their spending power next year compared to this year.

The figures estimate the true spending power that schools have after increases in teacher salaries, pensions, tax and non-staff costs have all been taken into account. It comes after the Government instructed council-run schools to give teachers a much-deserved pay rise of between 5% and 8.9% this year, but gave schools no extra money to pay for it, meaning that they had to make cuts elsewhere.

Overall, nine in ten schools across England will have less spending power next year compared to this year. More than two in three schools in England will have a lower spending power next year than in 2015.

Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for Derbyshire Dales, Robert Court said:

"Under this Government, schools must choose between teaching children or heating classrooms. Headteachers are warning that they will have to cut teaching assistants, mental health support and school clubs in order to make ends meet.

"Liberal Democrats know that a fair deal for Derbyshire Dales means investing in our children's futures. Parents and teachers will be rightly angry if the Chancellor announces more cuts to schools and colleges next week. Children and young people should not have to pay for the Conservatives' incompetence.

"Investment in quality education isn't cheap, nor should it be. We should prioritise public money to ensure that our children get the best possible start in life with first-rate teaching."

Note:
Data taken from the schoolcuts.org.uk website, maintained by the National Education Union, which was updated with figures for 2023/24 today (13th November). An explanation of their methodology is available on their website.