Since 2015 schools have lost almost £3 billion in budget cuts and are still facing real term cuts putting the Education sector into crisis. The subject continues to be a hot topic in the upcoming General Election and now parents, teachers and children are standing up against the cuts staging their own protests across the UK. During the week the three main parties presented their manifestos Education was the third most talked about subject on Twitter.  

With just a few days to go until voting day, a poll carried out by YouGov commissioned by the National Union of Teachers (NUT) found 43 per cent of parents (two in five) with children aged 4-18 consider education and school funding an important factor when choosing who to vote for. Of those who prioritised education, 83 per cent said they were more likely to vote for a candidate who will "support tackling education and school funding."  

Only Brexit (51 per cent) and Health (50 per cent) are bigger issues for parents when considering who to cast their vote to. The poll uncovered a high level of awareness about school funding problems, with 8 per cent saying they believed schools were in financial difficulty. Four in five parents (20 per cent) had been approached by the school for an additional financial contribution to their school.  

Teachers poll
In a separate poll consisting of teachers only 60 per cent said class sizes have become larger and 36 per cent have seen teacher numbers decrease in their school since the last General Election in 2015. Over a third (36 per cent) reported the number of teaching posts in their school had reduced over the past two years, with 28 per cent saying the number had remained the same, and 17 per cent stating it had increased. Sixty-two per cent of respondents said their school had lost teaching assistants, and 38 per cent of teachers said the range of subjects available to pupils had decreased since 2015. Forty-six per cent said curriculum breadth had stayed the same, with 9 per cent reporting the subject range had increased.   Every parent, teacher and school staff member knows the damaging effect a persistent lack of money has for the quality and type of education schools can give to children and young people. Without sufficient funds, schools will be forced to increase class sizes, drop subjects from the curriculum, or cut staff numbers. Schools are cutting spending on children with special educational needs. Buildings are going unrepaired and begging letters to parents for money are all too common practice.  

Kevin Courtney, General Secretary of the NUT, the largest teachers’ union, said “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 and the largest school cuts for a generation. The polls confirm that the NUT’s campaign on school funding is closely aligned to the concerns of both parents and teachers." “Politicians of all parties should be aware that parents are saying school funding will influence their vote." “Education cuts never heal and we as a country can do better. On June 8, parents, teachers and other concerned voters must consider what is most needed for schools – and which party best fits that aspiration. At this General Election it is time more than ever to vote for education.”