The best way for councils to run efficient services is for them to be adequately resourced and staffed.
Mike Short
Ministers are entirely responsible for the funding crisis that’s putting schools in this impossible position.
Years of neglect and underfunding have worsened the situation, leaving some schools on the verge of collapse.
That will mean even more cuts to services and further hardship for communities everywhere.
This will only add to the uncertainty and anxiety already being felt by pupils, parents and staff.
Parents, carers and staff should be told if any school buildings are on the brink of collapse.
Staff are already leaving for better-paid jobs in supermarkets, warehouses and coffee shops.
The FSA needs to come up with a significantly higher offer to avoid any disruption.
To halt the exodus of teaching assistants they need to be better rewarded
Council and school workers are enduring a major cost of living crisis.
No worker wants to go out on strike, but staff can’t afford to feed their kids, pay for housing or fill up their petrol tanks
Instead of trying to provide education on the cheap, the government must improve funding for the sector
The sector urgently needs long-term investment
The importance of university staff during the pandemic cannot be overstated.
Trying to force through mass changes to academy status is not only wrong-headed, it’s a complete distraction.