By Ashley Young
Barnet’s Labour party has launched a petition which has presently garnered over 500 signatures calling for fairer funding to schools across the borough. The teacher’s union estimates that 702 teachers will be lost between 2013 and 2019, as each school loses £565 per student.
Meetings have been held at Martin Primary School and All Saints Primary School with representations from union members, councilors, parents, governors and teachers aimed at raising awareness about how cuts by the government is likely to affect schools. The reason for the cuts have not been highlighted, but reference has been made to the fact that Theresa May plans to inject money into more grammar schools whilst abandoning ordinary public schools.
ELIGIBILITY
Public schools in general have no eligibility criteria, and attract both serious and none serious students, with the latter often dragging the serious ones students down. Violence is also more rampant in public schools than they are in grammar schools where most students have worked very hard to attain a place there. The eye of media.com is generally in support of May’s idea of funding grammar schools, but also believe public schools shouldn’t be left dry. The reasons for the cuts in government funding for ordinary schools need to be examined closer, but on the face of what is currently apparent, the reason is understandable. We welcome opposing views in this area.
Jo Yurky from Haringey, wh co-founded the Fair Funding for All Schools campaign last year, and believes told the eye of media.com that her aim is to raise awareness in the borough about the forthcoming cuts. She said:
“Barnet parents contacted our national campaign group after its council voted to support the cuts to their schools,” she said.
“Parents in Barnet told us that they were already anxious about school funding and now feel completly unsupported.
“Like most people, I believed funding for schools was protected because the government said it was, but now it seems that ministers are not being honest with us.
“Teachers and head teachers have been dismissed as scaremongers but, as parents, we’re seeing the real impact in classrooms across the country.
“They are pleading for clarification as their children are facing a devastating attack on their education.”
The petition can be found at barnetlabour.org.uk.
An 8pm meeting will be held at East Barnet School on Tuesday, April 25, to further inform parents living across the borough about proposed funding cuts.