Eastbourne Schools Hit by Funding Cuts!

The updated School Cuts website  shows that Government funding policy for schools means that schools in Eastbourne will be nearly £2.5 million worse off by 2019/20 than they were in 2015/16.

The website, published by the NUT and other school unions, compares each school’s funding in 2015-16 with the funding the Government predicts it will receive in 2019-20 under its proposed new National Funding Formula (NFF), adjusted for the impact of inflation and cost increases imposed on schools. 

Despite reassurances in the Conservative party election manifesto, (and warm words from local MP Caroline Ansell) that school budgets would be protected, this is clearly not the case.  The NFF will simply redistribute existing money across the country, while the Government’s funding freeze and inflation and employer cost increases will cut the value of every school’s funding by almost 10 per cent. The NUT estimates that this combination of a new funding formula and cost increases means that 98% of schools will be worse off in 2019-20. 

The National Audit Office has warned that schools will need to save £3 billion by the end of this Parliament and that they are ill equipped to do this. The latest DfE figures show that 60% of secondary schools are already in deficit.

NUT Divisional Secretary Dave Brinson said: ‘Under this Government’s funding policies, there are no winners, only losers. East Sussex schools are being forced to make decisions that no head teacher should have to make including reducing school staff and teachers, increasing class sizes, and reducing the range of subjects offered simply to balance the book.  This is an unacceptable state of affairs The NUT and ATL will continue campaigning for additional funding, to protect schools and our children’s education"

SECONDARY BUDGET CUTS IN EASTBOURNE BY 2019

PRIMARY BUDGET CUTS IN EASTBOURNE BY 2019

This is based on announced Government Policy on the new school funding formula, and the failure to increase school budgets by inflation.

Per pupil £ cuts are based on the number shown as being on roll at the last DfE School Census

The "Teachers Cut" figure represents the number of teacher jobs based that would, on average, need to be lost to achieve this saving.  

Click here to visit the site, which is supported by NUT, ATL, NAHT, Unison, Unite and GMB.

Next Trades Council Meeting: January 17th

The next meeting of Eastbourne Trades Council will be on Tuesday 17th January, 7.30pm at the View Hotel (formerly known as the Unite/T&G Eastbourne Centre), Grand Parade, Eastbourne. All local trade union members, including retired trade unionists, are welcome to attend the meeting.

THE AGENDA WILL BE:

1. Introductions and apologies for absence
2. Approval of any new affiliations.
3. Minutes of previous meeting (November) and matters arising.
4. Treasurer's Report- Gordon Dyer (apologies given, report sent)
5. RAIL CAMPAIGNS: Update on RMT, ASLEF and TSSA action and campaigns; ticket office action and linking to Action for Rail campaigning.
5. RECLAIM MAY DAY update on planning and grant application.
6. Ongoing Union Campaigns- all delegates are invited to update on their unions' current local and
national campaigning.
7. 2017 AGM: To include proposals for guest speaker and nomination for the Len Caine Memorial
Award.
8. Any other business

End the Rail Rip Off

On 1st January 2017, the government will announce a further rise in rail fares for UK train passengers. It’s the Christmas present no one asked for – rather than giving us the gift of proper investment in rail infrastructure and full public ownership, yet again passengers are paying more but getting less.

While fares keep rising, cuts to services and staffing are taking place across the network – with more ticket offices closing, removal of guards from trains, extension of driver only operations and fewer staff at stations to provide help when we need it.

Action for Rail is organising a day of action on Tuesday, 3rd January 2017. We are calling for a publicly owned railway with affordable fares to end this #RailRipOff. 

Eastbourne Trade Unionists will be joining with our friends from Eastbourne Labour Party at Eastbourne Rail Station first thing in the morning to support the campaign.

Eastbourne Labour Party's Jake Lambert (also a delegate to the Trades Council from the East Sussex NUT union) has consistently called for Southern to be stripped of the franchise.

Public ownership of rail could deliver cheaper fares. If the lines up for renewal this parliament were taken back into public ownership, that could save around £1.5bn – which could fund a 10 per cent cut in season tickets and other regulated fares from 2017. A third (£520m) of this £1.5bn saving would come from recouping the money private train companies pay in dividends to their shareholders.

Find out more about the Action for Rail campaign by clicking here.