Local schools face staff cuts

12.12.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 15th Apr 2003

Several local primary and secondary school are cutting staff as schools are confronted with the financial reality of costs (salaries; national insurance) growing faster than the cash they are receiving. Orleans (secondary) is being forced to cut two staff at a time when it is soon going into specialist status.

St Mary's and St Peters in Teddington is losing a classroom assistant to balance its budget. This is merely the tip of an iceberg of local problems.

MP Vincent Cable said: "This is both a national and local problem. Nationally the government has not made enough provision for rising costs in its allocations to local councils for education. But, locally, the council could, if it chose, shield the schools from cuts by using some of its comfortable reserves. "

"The last Lib Dem administration did this, always giving priority to schools.