Preet Kaur Gill MP has today raised grave concerns over new figures which show that 367 of Birmingham’s 381 schools will be facing significant cuts to their 2023 budgets.
This equates to as much as £30.6 million being taken from schools. On average, it will mean that schools will have £168 less to spend per child on students' education in the school year for 2023/2024.
Preet Kaur Gill, MP for Birmingham Edgbaston said: “Schools are already suffering because of the failure of the Conservatives to meet their manifesto pledge to invest in education. For example, Woodgate Primary School in Bartley Green will lose £231, 901 from their budget next year. That’s an enormous £3,514 loss per pupil. Warnings from head teachers are becoming more and more frequent and with the Conservatives crashing the economy, this is only set to worsen.”
A recent survey by the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) found that 66% of 11,000 school leaders will have to make teaching assistants redundant or reduce their hours, while 50% are looking at cutting the number of teachers or teaching hours.
Preet continued: “I recently met with headteachers across my constituency, and they told me in no uncertain terms how existing budgets simply aren’t meeting the educational needs of pupils. With the cost-of-living crisis hitting families hard, it is falling to schools that are desperately having to make up the shortfalls as best they can. What is clear, hungry children don’t learn.
“We need a government that can think creatively, support our schools and parents, and put in place the necessary measures that are so urgently needed. For instance, Labour will deliver breakfast clubs for every primary age child in England saving parents thousands in childcare costs and saving money for schools in the process.”
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