40% cuts

[Bozza]

How much foreign aid do you have in your household budget?

In terms of fixed monthly charity donations, which is the closest equivalent I guess, then we do have some, yes. Then there are occasional ad hoc ones when friends or family are involved in events of a particularly worthy cause catches the eye. And if we were having to cut 40% of our household expenditure, we would absolutely stop that straight away.

I note the UK's foreign aid budget is c0.7% of total GDP.

 

[Perkino]

If we are continuing to spend more than we have coming in then we need to try and find ways of cutting costs. We cannot continue to keep spending in the hope that future generations will pay for it on our behalf

 

[Hastings gull]

Herr Tuthumper: I'm not aware of any significant cuts to junior or secondary school education. Happy to be corrected.

Herr Tubthumper: And why cuts on something so important such as education. I'd put education of the nation above absolutely everything else when ranking importance to a country. Baffles me. If you want to hold a nation, and it's future economy, back then restrict education.

 

[Pavilionaire]

The voters crucified the Lib Dems at the last election > the Lib Dems were applying a brake on Tory excess > clearly the electorate are comfortable with Tory plans unfettered.

Either that, or those that switched their vote to Tory are imbeciles who didn't properly consider the political issues.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

What about a 25% cut in foreign aid? How will that damage society? Or 40%? Or 70%?

Foreign Aid is NOT included in these proposed cuts.

Carry on.

 

[Nibble]

Total estimated cost of MP's to the UK before pension is £148,180,000 pa. Could probably make some cuts there.

 

[Hastings gull]

Originally Posted by hans kraay fan club View Post



Just to clarify for you, this option has been removed as the school tightens its belt due to existing cuts. Nothing to do with the proposed further cuts, except to illustrate the actual REAL decisions that are having to be made by schools.

I'll give another EXISTING REAL example if you like. The primary school that the two lads went to is a small one. Amongst its staff are no dedicated PE teachers. In fact to a (wonderful, hard-working) lady they are midle aged, experienced teachers, with zero interest, aptitute or physical ability to teach 6-11 year olds about sport or exercise. 'PE lessons' would at best just be like an extra play-time, and at worst binned off altogether.
To counter this, the head teacher brought in a young chap from the Schools Sport Partnership. Effectivelythe guy worked as the PE teacher at three local schools splitting his time equally between them, providing proper lessons to the children, and enabling the school's teachers to concentrate on what they are good at. It was an excellent arrangement, and the kids loved it.

It doesn't happen anymore. The SSP got scrapped to save money. The chap in question lost his job, and the kids are back to playing catch.

I can fully understand your frustration as a parent, at what you see as cuts and a worsening of the standard of education for your children -if only all parents were so committed! Yes, this might perhaps be the result of a cut, but it might also be the result of something quite different. If it is a straight forward cut, then that is disappointing, but schools, like everyone else, have to live within a budget. But again, in order to make a point, you resort to exaggeration;
Teachers are now under great pressure by way of headteacher,Osted, mock Ofsted, school's Academic Partner - led inspections of their lessons, where they have to reach "good" or "outstanding". it is, therefore, highly unlikely that the PE lessons will be as you describe. indeed, whilst, to be fair, you are complimentary about the person, I would think she might be rather miffed.

 

[Seagull58]

In terms of fixed monthly charity donations, which is the closest equivalent I guess, then we do have some, yes. Then there are occasional ad hoc ones when friends or family are involved in events of a particularly worthy cause catches the eye. And if we were having to cut 40% of our household expenditure, we would absolutely stop that straight away.

I note the UK's foreign aid budget is c0.7% of total GDP.

You say that you would stop that expenditure straight away in your household budget. Yet, bizarrely, the foreign budget is ring-fenced and will not be touched. I just cannot understand that thinking.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I thought education is, like the NHS, to be ring-fenced ?? Who is talking about restricting education? And holding a nation back? You are just reading others' comments and then picking on what suits your bias. With all respect, how can you possibly be in a position to discuss education in Britain with any degree of authority?

1) I have many friends with kids in UK schools
2) I have a wife who has taught in both UK and German schools
3) I have friends who teach in both
4) I can read UK press, including the Conservative governments own figures.

Authority? Maybe not. Degree of understanding? Certainly.

 

[Seagull58]

Foreign Aid is NOT included in these proposed cuts.

Carry on.

I know that very well. However, if they were to see sense and cut foreign aid by 40% what would be the impact on society?

 

[Hastings gull]

1) I have many friends with kids in UK schools
2) I have a wife who has taught in both UK and German schools
3) I have friends who teach in both
4) I can read UK press, including the Conservative governments own figures.

Authority? Maybe not. Degree of understanding? Certainly.

Ok agree and fair enough on final bit, thanks, but if you have so many friends and know so much about education, why do you talk about restricting it?

 

[Frampler]

In fairness to the Government and its Coalition predecessor, there was a lot of fat to be trimmed from parts of the public sector. However, it's been trimmed remorselessly for five years, and they've taken away a chunk of muscle with it. They've also tied the hands of local government by cutting their central funding and legislating to stop them increasing council tax to make up the shortfall - how that tallies with a commitment to localism is beyond me.

There are few areas left to cut without the Government withdrawing wholesale from a public service, and I suspect another wave of privatisations will follow on from this review.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Ok agree and fair enough on final bit, thanks, but if you have so many friends and know so much about education, why do you talk about restricting it?

Because education is being restricted. There's real examples in this thread of departments being cut and staff who supplied certain elements of schooling being chopped. HKFC spoke about a games teacher for example.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

I know that very well. However, if they were to see sense and cut foreign aid by 40% what would be the impact on society?

It is a seperate discussion, tbh - the ethics as well as economic decisions on our foreign aid contributions.

It is worth noting that in size they are really NOT very significant against the levels of 'savings' currently being evaluated. Politically of course, they are massively significant.

 

[beorhthelm]

...They've also tied the hands of local government by cutting their central funding and legislating to stop them increasing council tax to make up the shortfall - how that tallies with a commitment to localism is beyond me.

they haven't legislated to stop council tax increases, only legislated that above 2% needs a local vote. its notable that when this is put to the people, they reject this increase including left leaning/voting areas. its notable that a certain devolved parliament also has tax raising powers it doesnt use, instead relying on favourable funding per head and crying about cuts.

 

[BigGully]

Is your wife a teaching deputy head, or a non teaching one? The reason I ask is that my wife starts her role as a non teaching deputy next term and I am curious to know if the workload is less a non teaching deputy. As it is, she is drowning in workload and considering her position.

My wife has done both, but being non teaching and being out of the classroom alleviates much of the stress.

 

[BigGully]

Because education is being restricted. There's real examples in this thread of departments being cut and staff who supplied certain elements of schooling being chopped. HKFC spoke about a games teacher for example.

No HKFC's example was not a teacher, just an added activity provider that originally wasnt there.

Someone within his school decided that it was an unnecessary service that perhaps didnt represent value for money or whatever.

I am a little surprised that if the demand was there that otherways weren't found to retain him.

 

[Nibble]

Ok agree and fair enough on final bit, thanks, but if you have so many friends and know so much about education, why do you talk about restricting it?

Why if an Englishman lives abroad does he suddenly have his memory wiped of all experiences in the UK, the ability to read or watch English news disappears and most importantly why are they no longer allowed an opinion on UK affairs. I mean, heavens to Murgatroyd, there are people on here who have never set foot in countries they spout off about continually.

 

[Nibble]

I see the Tories have made sweeping cuts to subsidies for the solar power industry. Nasty bunch the Tories.

 

[Chicken Run]

A question for Tory voters - are you comfortable with this?

This is actually a genuine question because to be fair, the ConDem coalition didn't undertake this. Indeed when Osborne cut too deep, the economy started to shrink and so they repealed most of the planned cuts.

It is now looking like that repealing was a LibDem idea, because it seems that Osborne wants to cut between 25-40% now.

No I'm not comfortable at all with it!