More than 1,000 parents and teachers will descend on Parliament today in a major lobby of MPs to demand more funding for schools.
People concerned over the crisis in school funding will be holding meetings with their local MPs throughout the day as part of an attempt to pressure chancellor Philip Hammond into making more money available for schools in next month’s autumn budget.
The lobby has been organised by the school cuts campaign run by the Association of School and College Leaders, the GMB, the NAHT headteachers’ union, the NEU teaching union, Unison and Unite.
More than 400 MPs have been approached for meetings on school funding by people taking part in today’s lobby. Former education minister Tim Loughton, Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry are among more than 100 MPs who have already confirmed meetings about school funding with their constituents.
Campaigners will gather at rallies being held at the Emmanuel Centre today in Westminster, where shadow education secretary Angela Rayner, Liberal Democrat education spokesperson Layla Moran, and shadow chancellor John McDonnell will be among the speakers.
Commenting on the government’s national funding formula for schools, Geoff Barton, general secretary of ASCL, said: “Slicing up the cake more evenly cannot disguise the fact that the cake is not big enough in the first place.” He added that the overall level of education funding “is a long way short of what is needed.”
Paul Whiteman, general secretary of the NAHT, described school budgets as being at “breaking point” and said that an extra £2 billion per year was needed “to avoid having to cut staff, cut classes, or limit what they teach”.
Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the NEU, said: “This lobby is another indication that the government cannot ignore the message they received loud and clear in the general election that our schools are on their knees financially and the public do not accept this should be the case.”
He added: “The chancellor needs to address this in his Budget by giving schools the money needed to ensure our children and young people get the education in the 21st century they both deserve and need.”
