Swansea schools face crisis as budget cut forces axing of up to 100 teachers
SWANSEA is facing another education crisis with the news that budget cuts could mean 100 teachers lose their jobs.
Swansea Council is trying to fill a £15 million blackhole in its finances, meaning the education budget is set to be slashed when it is revealed later this month — with an estimated £5.6 million being taken out.
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Gorseinon Infants School could be closed under the shake-up plans. RM020507B-001
From that, more than £4.5 million will be taken from the cash given to schools, meaning teaching cuts are almost inevitable.
The news comes as schools in the city are still being forced to work in buildings needing more than £100 million to be brought up to scratch.
In September 2007, the Post revealed the crumbling state of Swansea's schools, which needed an investment of £147 million.
Now it seems there will be fewer teachers in the city. The schools in the city estimate a 0.9 per cent cut in funding, as well as a decision not to fund teachers a 2.4 per cent pay award, agreed at a national level, will mean up to £5.6 million going out of the education budget, with schools given £4.5 million less to spend.
However, this national pay award is a legal requirement, leaving head teachers and governors with the responsibility to find the cash from within their shrinking budgets.
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While the council expects up to 50 redundancies this year, they have been told by leading teachers that the figure will be closer to 100. The consequence of this will be fewer teachers and larger classes. Swansea Council's cabinet member for education, Mike Day, said new measures, such as sharing teachers across schools could be an answer to the difficult financial position some schools will find themselves in.
It seems that a knock-on effect of Swansea Council's troubled social services department is that its budget will expand to cope with the drastic improvements that need to be made, while education will shrink.
Councillor Day said: "All councils are now facing the same pressures of cuts in public finances, reduced income and unavoidable spending increases in frontline areas such as social services.
"The knock-on effect is that there's less money to go round and that will impact on schools as well as other council services. There are some tough decisions ahead of us, but the reality of the situation is that there's less money for schools."
The responsibility for hiring and firing staff rests with individual schools, but they must work within the budgets set by the Local Education Authority — Swansea Council.
With an estimated £4.5 million being cut from school budgets, and staffing being the major cost for each school, it seems more teachers will be made unemployed over the next 12 months. Another knock-on effect will be a rise in class sizes.
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Councillor Day said schools and their governing bodies were responsible for managing staff and financial resources, but he added that he expected schools to report that redundancies would be inevitable.
He added: "These are very tough times and the budgets are extremely challenging.
"I am not hiding the difficulties schools face. They are the difficult realities that Swansea Council faces and local authorities as a whole are facing.
Councillors who are set to vote on the budget later this month are also school governors. How they respond at governors meetings to issues such as growing class sizes and staff lost to education remains to be seen.
Related articles:
Jobs axe will fall over 'hundreds' more employees, says Swansea Council boss
Council leader Chris Holley said: "This is the most difficult budget this council has faced. There's huge demand for our services at a time when there is less money to go round.
"We have to take tough decisions to protect frontline services and ensure we offer the people of Swansea the best services we can."
One teacher contacted by the Post yesterday criticised the failures in social services which have lead to a cut in funding for education.
He said: "Are children paying for the inadequacies of adults?"
alex.brown@swwmedia.co.uk
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27 Comments
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by David, Llangyfelach
Thursday, February 04 2010, 8:45PM
“Dave, England
If Wales has to go cap in hand in England, then why was £150bn paid out to save banks that are mostly based in London?
That's enough money to pay to run Wales entire public services for 15 years.
And the "London" Olympics will cost more than it costs to run Wales for a year and a half.
Get some perspective, rather than spouting crass, senseless, idiotic, stereotypyed bile.”
by Matthew, Swansea
Thursday, February 04 2010, 6:47PM
“"By the way, didn't you know that giving free prescriptions encourages people to get medicines they don't need, thereby causing extra waste and cost to the NHS."
No, doctors prescribing drugs people don't really need causes waste. There's a difference. You can't get any prescription without a doctor's signature.
Furthermore, for people with chronic illnesses who need lifelong medication, to penalise them by making them pay is both insensitive, discriminatory and sadistic.
The fundamental ethos of the NHS was that treatment be free at the point of sale. Charging for prescriptions defeats this outright.
Prescription charges occur because the Government will not challenge and regulate the corporate greed of pharmaceutical giants. I know the reality, I worked for one of them. They always justify their avarice by bleating on about how much it costs to develop drugs when in fact most pharmaceutical companies spend more on advertising and marketing than they do on development of new drugs. On average, less than ten percent of profits are reinvested in new drug discovery. But that's ok isn't it, they're only there to care for people's wellbeing after all. Yeah right.
Anyone who thinks that drugs companies are on some goodness-of-the-heart benevolent mission are as stupid as they are naiive.
Moreover Dave of England, it seems that your posts here are more about some petty vindictiveness towards the Welsh than anything else. I think everyone acknowledges that there are stupid Welsh people just as there are stupid English people and stupid Italian people. But to make such sweeping generalisations as you have done only serves to make you look even more stupid.
You keep pontificating on about us stealing from you and coming cap in hand. What's wrong with you then, too spineless to say NO ? If Englans is allegedly continuing to give hand outs to a country that you have deemed to be unworthy then perhaps it's you lot that are the stupid ones.”
by Liberty, Swansea
Thursday, February 04 2010, 5:31PM
“Dave, England
Your 'talking' so much rubbish, have you been on an all night Rave, Dave!?
Of course paying for Prescriptions is a Tax on the sick! Or is it that you need some Medication to help you realise reality!?
As I have lived in England in the past, I know of many people who couldn't afford the Prescription charges and had to endure their illnesses, so what you state;
"We don't need free prescriptions because we earn enough to pay for our own. It's not a tax, we are actually paying for what we consume", is Science Fiction, as opposed to Science fact!
Your statement that Politicians, "don't represent the people of England", ignores the fact the MP's are ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES, which the majority do represent, at least in theory, the Electorates that voted them in! Perhaps Politics is not one of your knowledge areas!
The Wales Electorate do pay into the UK Tax system, including NI Contributions and VAT, as well as Income Tax! You will find it very difficult to find definitively, an accurate measure to support your claims that Wales is a net receiver of Income from England!
Brown may be Scottish, but Blair was English and we all know what he did for the UK and he has 'No Regrets' for doing what he did!
How is England more 'entrepreneurial' than Wales!? Where's your evidence!? Why has England got more Business failings than Wales if England is supposed to be more 'entrepreneurial' than Wales in the Dave from England LALA land world!?
If free Prescriptions in Wales is such a bad Social Policy as you imply, then why hasn't the Politicians stopped it!? Answer, it is a good Policy, is popular with the Electorate and most people in Wales that do use this 'service', do so responsibly!
There are many great famous people from Wales that have impacted on the wider stage not only in Wales and the UK, but globally, including from several sectors of business, the arts and Politics! Try Harry Secombe, Katherine Jenkins, Gareth Edwards, Ryan Giggs, Richard Burton, Anthony Hopkins, Michael Sheen, Christian Bale, Charles S. Rolls, Sir Howard Stringer, Terence Matthews, Sir Henry Morgan, Doctor Rowan Williams, Edgar Evans, Sir George Everest, Brian Trubshaw to name just a few!
If Wales is so 'dumb' a country as you 'say', then why do most of the illegal Immigrants to the UK, come in via England!?
Given that you have already suggested Wales gets more than it puts in from Central government and you are aware that Wales gives its citizens free Prescriptions, the question that has to be asked is not which Country is dumb, but which Country is dumber!?
Now Dave from England, I suggest you do a 'Moses' and keep taking the Tablets, and I hope you continue to enjoy paying for this privilege, as you continue to live the dream of England being a Super Power again!”
by Matthew, Swansea
Thursday, February 04 2010, 5:14PM
“Dave, England says: "It says something that you mention a Welshman from over 50 years ago. Haven't there been any others great ones since then."
Dr Lyn Evans, leading the LHC project in CERN.
Sir Chris Evans, biotech entrepreneur.
Brian Josephson, Physics Nobel Prize winner.
Since 1980 three presidents of the Royal Society of Chemistry have been from Wales including Prof Eddie Abel, Prof Howard Purnell and Sir John Cadogan.
Robert William Grove who developed the fuel cell was from Swansea.
Charles Rolls of Rolls Royce was from Wales.
Prof William Price, Wheatstone Professor of Physics at King's College was from Wales.
That enough for you ?
And, furthermore, the fact that the NHS was founded by a Welshman DOES matter. A country of less than three million produced a politician who provided a health system which now supports 60 million people. If that's not an achievement then I'm not sure what is.”
by Enigma, Swansea
Thursday, February 04 2010, 4:53PM
“Beannie, if you had any insight into the education system you'd realise that the teaching profession is stretched to breaking point. But from your posts a few weeks ago it seems that, rather than base your arguments on fact, you're just here to peddle your sourness and vendetta towards teachers who you seem to think have an easy job. Furthermore, if you had any business acumen at all you'd realise that when you make cutbacks, you remove things which are unneccesary and don't add value. If you feel teachers are a bunch of freeloaders and not worth anything then I'm glad I don't know you.”
by tarzan, well in my tree
Thursday, February 04 2010, 2:24PM
“jane
why are you talking to fictional characters?
perhaps because you wont support breakfast clubs
and no one else listens to you!”
by Dave, England
Thursday, February 04 2010, 1:51PM
“Liberty, Swansea - what you say is laughable. We don't need free prescriptions because we earn enough to pay for our own. It's not a tax, we are actually paying for what we consume.
Your other comments are pure drivel. We earn more than you, we are more entrepreneurial, we get on with our lives.
It's true that bad decisions are made by politicians, but they don't represent the people of England. And don't forget that the PM is Sctottish, not English.
If Wales is so great, then my do you demand and get more money from central governmetn that you put in. On your own you would collect your own taxes and have less money overall.
By the way, didn't you know that giving free prescriptions encourages people to get medicines they don't need, thereby causing extra waste and cost to the NHS. Your own politicians came to that conclusion.
Whether the NHS was founded by a Welshman on not makes no difference. There have been some good Welsh people. I'm not saying all Welsh people are dumb, they are just dumb as a country. It says something that you mention a Welshman from over 50 years ago. Haven't there been any others great ones since then.”
by Jane, Swansea
Thursday, February 04 2010, 10:44AM
“Tarzan - was your comment written in English? How does it add to the discussion regarding cutting teaching jobs? Let's keep it simple - there is one overall pot of money. Decisions have to be made as to what to spend it on because there isn't enough to go round. You want breakfasts and cheap child minding and other peoole would rather have their children educated. We are both right because it's called free speech. We live in a democracy we are allowed to be different. Differences are not mistakes and you are not right just because you think you are.”
by Wayne, Sandfields, Port Talbot
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 8:34PM
“meirion, swansea
First of all I don't claim to have a degree in politics I can prove it. Of course there has to be a little bet along with it. What do you say? Are you game? After all why should I prove anything to you or anybody else just to suit you?
You have got to be joking if you think we get more back from aid that we give. I have never, ever seen any proof of that. I have heard many things said but until it is proven to me I never believe anything I am just told. Notwithstanding that, tell the people who need the money spent here on them that it should be given to foreigners. You know the people struggling to make ends meet that it should go to countries like India which has sent a rocket to the moon costing £1.74b whilke we have since 2002 given them £1.9b. If they can afford that along with their own nuclear weapons programme and recenly increasing their defence budget by 23% they don't need the money. What about dictators lining their pockets with the aid money? I take it you think that is acceptable because you don't mention it? Or the fact they use it to spend on weapons? Spend it here not on their weapons, their space programme or to line the dictators pockets I say.
When you mention Nick Griffen you are using the old left-wing tactic of trying to destroy a point of view or the person making it by associating them with somebody you imply to be a very bad person. Sorry but in this case it doesn't work because I am well aware of the tactic and now so are others. In any case I can't say whether Nick Griffen is a good or bad person because I have never met him and he has no track record in government to go on unlike Gordon Brown. As far as Haiti is concerned I have given money out of my own pocket on more than one occasion so you have no idea of anything you speak of. Have you given any money? You may only be speaking as if you care but action is what counts to most of us but it may be to you that image is more important than anything.”
by tarzan, out of my tree
Wednesday, February 03 2010, 8:07PM
“jane
stop trying to justify your mistakes take telling and you will grow up all the better for it”