Oldham schools set to lose £58m in funding

Oldham East and Saddleworth MP Debbie Abrahams

Between 2015 and 2020, 92 out of 97 Oldham schools will have lost £58m in Government funding - equivalent to losing £298 per pupil - according to the National Education Union.
 
The National Education Union is an independent body that represents over 450,000 teachers across the UK lecturers, support staff and leaders working in schools and colleges across the UK,
 
Debbie Abrahams, MP for Oldham East and Saddleworth, has hit out at the Government’s record over this period, saying, “I believe that every child deserves the best possible start in life, and that an excellent education is fundamental to this.

"The unashamed Tory cuts to schools’ budget will mean that, for many children, this is simply not possible. 
 
“Government announcements on school funding are woefully inadequate and will not even begin to reverse the cuts schools have faced since their austerity agenda began in 2010, let alone give them the investment they need for every child to get a world class education.
 
“The lack of proper funding will make it extremely difficult for schools to not only meet the increased demand of pupil numbers increasing but also to address the growing crisis in teacher recruitment and retention.
 
“Many schools are already reporting losing staff as a result of funding cuts, which are falling heavily on those in support roles.

"This will make it all but impossible for the Government to deliver on key pledges, including that all secondary schools should have staff trained to help address the mental health needs of pupils. 
 
“What’s worse is the Government clearly have no coherent plan to deliver this against a background of funding cuts and teaching staff shortages across the UK.”

Jim McMahon MP said, “Despite the Prime Minister’s claims about levelling up school funding the difference between cuts in the most deprived areas compared to the least deprived areas is telling.”

“93% of the schools in my constituency will experience a funding shortfall one way or another in 2020/21, its time for the Prime Minister and the Education Secretary to either come clean about school funding, or to back up their words with actions and properly fund our schools.”

“Parents and teachers across Oldham West and Royton will be rightly annoyed by the misleading claims from the government, they’re on the front lines of this and they’ll know the efforts that schools have had to go to, to make ends meet.”

“Oldham Academy North for example has been cut by an average of £804 per pupil since 2015, and in total the cuts are equivalent to the salaries of 17 teachers. How can we give our children a good start in life if the education system that we rely on to set them up for the world is stretched to the limits.”

Oldham Council were contacted for a comment but were unavailable at the time.

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