Cumbrian schools face cuts crisis

Local Head Teachers have warned that schools across Cumbria face a funding crisis, which could see 625 teachers cut by 2020. South Cumbrian MP Tim Farron has warned that this would be "devastating for local schools" and called for more investment in education.

According to the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT), the government's own data shows that the effects of passing on various additional costs to schools means that nationally schools face a £3billion deficit by 2020.

In Cumbria, this means a £23million cut to schools' budgets by 2020, which is the equivalent of £383 per pupil per year. The Cumbrian NAHT has warned that this equates to 625 teachers being cut across Cumbria by 2020. It has also said that with 98 per cent of schools set to lose funding.

On Friday, George Osborne's Northern Powerhouse Partnership think tank called for "urgent attention" to be given to improving education in the North of England, warning that it is in danger of being "left behind".

Tim will be attending a meeting about the schools funding crisis with local Head Teachers on Thursday. He has also tabled a motion in parliament calling for the government to reconsider its plans and instead to invest in education.

Tim said: "The scale of cuts facing schools across Cumbria in the next few years is vast. These cuts are not just numbers in a spreadsheet in Whitehall, they will have a real impact on our children's futures. These cuts will mean fewer teachers, fewer resources and larger class sizes. The government must stop its ideological obsession with cuts and instead choose to invest in education to give our children the best opportunities in life. I regularly visit local schools and see the excellent work that local teachers do, but this will be at risk if the government does not provide the funding that is needed."