Current Affairs 2017 General Election
- Thread starter neil999
- Start date
- Status
Clint Planet
Utter Cad.
Clint Planet
Utter Cad.
School funding soars up election agenda as teachers warn of crisis
Shortage of cash for teachers, and even books, will influence parents’ votes, YouGov survey finds
A survey of parents found that education ranked alongside health and Brexit as a major election issue. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA
Richard Adams Education editor
Published:01:00 CEST Sat 3 June 2017
Follow Richard Adams
Rising concerns over school funding have seen education emerge as one of the major issues of the election campaign, according to an opinion poll.
The survey of 1,000 parents of schoolchildren conducted by YouGov ranked education alongside health and Brexit as the most important election issues – and ahead of perennial concerns such as jobs, the economy or terrorism.
Of the 43% who named education as a prime issue, four out of five said they were more likely to vote for candidates who would tackle school funding.
The poll of parents in England, Scotland and Wales, carried out on behalf of the National Union of Teachers and published on Saturday, found that more than two-thirds believe schools are in financial difficulty, while just a quarter say they are adequately funded.
A substantial number of parents said they had been approached for financial contributions towards school running costs, including one in five who said they had been asked to pay for new textbooks.
“The findings of this YouGov poll point unambiguously to a growing crisis in our schools. Parents and teachers are already seeing the devastating effects of underfunding,” said Kevin Courtney, the NUT’s general secretary.
“Politicians of all parties should be aware that parents are saying school funding will influence their vote.”
The poll comes as Labour and the Conservatives have competed over school funding in England, with the Conservatives promising to redirect a further £1bn into budgets, largely by ending free school meals for all infants.
Despite that, analysts say the Tory manifesto pledge would still mean a cut in real terms for schools of nearly 3% by 2021.
Sam Freedman, an advisor at the teacher recruitment charity TeachFirst, said: “It’s been a generation since education has been one of the top issues at an election. In part this is a result of improving schools and standards, but it’s now clear that pressures are starting to build.
“All sides have recognised that schools are feeling the pinch as pupil numbers and costs grow. Brexit has sharpened the focus on needing a highly skilled workforce to compete in a global economy.
“But there’s still too little attention paid to the biggest problem: the gap between the achievement of children from rich and poor backgrounds.
“Whichever party wins, if this country is to succeed, we must focus on developing the talents and skills of all young people.”
A separate survey of teachers in England and Wales, also carried out by YouGov for the NUT, found one-third reporting that the number of teaching jobs in their school had fallen since the last election in 2015.
About 60% of teachers said class sizes had increased in their schools over the last two years, while 38% also said the range of subjects available to pupils had shrunk since 2015.
**********************
Believe me, schools across the country are wrestling with how to deal with swingeing cuts in their funding. A perfect storm of teacher-shortage + increased class sizes + under-resourcing is brewing. The last seven years have, from a teacher's point of view, been chaotic, confused and dispiriting in the Primary sector. There is a strong feeling that the government has not known its arse from its elbow but it's about to get much worse.
Shortage of cash for teachers, and even books, will influence parents’ votes, YouGov survey finds
A survey of parents found that education ranked alongside health and Brexit as a major election issue. Photograph: Dave Thompson/PA
Richard Adams Education editor
Published:01:00 CEST Sat 3 June 2017
Follow Richard Adams
Rising concerns over school funding have seen education emerge as one of the major issues of the election campaign, according to an opinion poll.
The survey of 1,000 parents of schoolchildren conducted by YouGov ranked education alongside health and Brexit as the most important election issues – and ahead of perennial concerns such as jobs, the economy or terrorism.
Of the 43% who named education as a prime issue, four out of five said they were more likely to vote for candidates who would tackle school funding.
The poll of parents in England, Scotland and Wales, carried out on behalf of the National Union of Teachers and published on Saturday, found that more than two-thirds believe schools are in financial difficulty, while just a quarter say they are adequately funded.
A substantial number of parents said they had been approached for financial contributions towards school running costs, including one in five who said they had been asked to pay for new textbooks.
“The findings of this YouGov poll point unambiguously to a growing crisis in our schools. Parents and teachers are already seeing the devastating effects of underfunding,” said Kevin Courtney, the NUT’s general secretary.
“Politicians of all parties should be aware that parents are saying school funding will influence their vote.”
The poll comes as Labour and the Conservatives have competed over school funding in England, with the Conservatives promising to redirect a further £1bn into budgets, largely by ending free school meals for all infants.
Despite that, analysts say the Tory manifesto pledge would still mean a cut in real terms for schools of nearly 3% by 2021.
Sam Freedman, an advisor at the teacher recruitment charity TeachFirst, said: “It’s been a generation since education has been one of the top issues at an election. In part this is a result of improving schools and standards, but it’s now clear that pressures are starting to build.
“All sides have recognised that schools are feeling the pinch as pupil numbers and costs grow. Brexit has sharpened the focus on needing a highly skilled workforce to compete in a global economy.
“But there’s still too little attention paid to the biggest problem: the gap between the achievement of children from rich and poor backgrounds.
“Whichever party wins, if this country is to succeed, we must focus on developing the talents and skills of all young people.”
A separate survey of teachers in England and Wales, also carried out by YouGov for the NUT, found one-third reporting that the number of teaching jobs in their school had fallen since the last election in 2015.
About 60% of teachers said class sizes had increased in their schools over the last two years, while 38% also said the range of subjects available to pupils had shrunk since 2015.
**********************
Believe me, schools across the country are wrestling with how to deal with swingeing cuts in their funding. A perfect storm of teacher-shortage + increased class sizes + under-resourcing is brewing. The last seven years have, from a teacher's point of view, been chaotic, confused and dispiriting in the Primary sector. There is a strong feeling that the government has not known its arse from its elbow but it's about to get much worse.
I reckon it will be about 9 or 10 points on Thursday
Donald Twain
Vide cor meum
The surge in votes for Labour on the poll here echoing the word on the street, LABOUR IS ON THE MARCH!!
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £40m
Come on, Bruce...
The ordinary member of the public has no role to play in the high-level negotiations to come.
Sometimes you reason and discuss like a 5 year-old...
Old Blue 2
Player Valuation: £40m
Might go like brexit one side out in front thought they had it in the bag, then a late narrowing in the polls and the vote goes the other way.
When the Prime Minister said she was calling a snap election on account of Brexit, yeah, I thought that. Of course, back then there was still a sense that she wasn't completely full of [Poor language removed].
Clint Planet
Utter Cad.
Must be why she has two account s in the Cayman isles
Mrk
Player Valuation: £40m
ashwuk76
Player Valuation: £35m
Actually she called the election cause she is a whiney person who bleats that other parties are trying to derail brexit... despite most of the mps voting in favour of triggering article 50. We all know it was in the best interests on the Tories and not the country.
- Status