40% cuts

[BigGully]

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.

You can continue to shoot down everything you hear, and I'll continue to describe small, but genuine examples of the effects of funding cuts.

Then the decision made by the professionals within that school obvious deemed it an unnecessary expense, perhaps they were wrong I cannot be sure.

But decisions and budgets have to be met and decisions made, my wifes school has a dedicated activity provider, which is paid for directly by the pupils and or pupil premium.

It would be nice if it was free, but I guess budgets determine that it is an activity of choice and any prospective cost would be better spent elsewhere.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I'll give the Tories this, they've got some sack announcing this a week after accepting a 10% pay rise.

Agree. And Cameron suggests they should take it because MPs are worth it. Shame the "worth it" argument doesn't apply to other public sector workers.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Then the decision made by the professionals within that school obvious deemed it an unnecessary expense, perhaps they were wrong I cannot be sure.

But decisions and budgets have to be met and decisions made, my wifes school has a dedicated activity provider, which is paid for directly by the pupils and or pupil premium.

It would be nice if it was free, but I guess budgets determine that it is an activity of choice and any prospective cost would be better spent elsewhere.

Given the economy is doing so well (Osborne's words, not mine) why all the cuts? 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. It makes no sense.

This wouldn't, and doesn't, happen in Germany.

 

[BigGully]

Go and ask the 16 staff at Patcham High School who are at risk of redundancy due to the staffing budget being cut.

Tell me the service being provided and how that might be effected rather than raw job numbers.

The decision to cut staff, although difficult for those in the firing line, might suggest that they can deliver the service with less staff.

Its a decision that every functioning business has to undertake, I absolutely know that its difficult for anyone to feel vulnerable in the workplace but whats the alternative if you accept that budgets are important.

 

[Nibble]

Agree. And Cameron suggests they should take it because MPs are worth it. Shame the "worth it" argument doesn't apply to other public sector workers.

Quite. You can bet your last Euro the MP's (of any party) won't be making 40% cuts in their expenses. Without the Lib Dems to temper Cameron's idiocy the next 5 years is going to be Hell in the UK.

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Given the economy is doing so well (Osborne's words, not mine) why all the cuts? 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. It makes no sense.

This wouldn't, and doesn't, happen in Germany.

Funnily enough, at my cricket last week, I was talking to a 17 year old who studied at ETON. The lads of similar age in our team were asking him about cricket and other PE options (he didn't play this chap - he was watching his mate, in the opposition side). They were most amused and intrigued to hear that his PE option of choice in his previous term had been falconry.

Even the (now scrapped) School Sports Partnership didn't cover that.

 

[Simster]

Then the decision made by the professionals within that school obvious deemed it an unnecessary expense, perhaps they were wrong I cannot be sure.

But decisions and budgets have to be met and decisions made, my wifes school has a dedicated activity provider, which is paid for directly by the pupils and or pupil premium.

It would be nice if it was free, but I guess budgets determine that it is an activity of choice and any prospective cost would be better spent elsewhere.

Good grief man, do try and think about what you're saying. "But decisions and budgets have to be met and decisions made" - what a wonderfully helpful truism that is. More evidence of your limited intellect I suspect.

Just to remind you, the debate we are having is whether people (esp Tory voters) are happy about these proposed, deep cuts or at least to what extent they need to be made.

 

[narly101]

Without the Lib Dems to temper Cameron's idiocy the next 5 years is going to be Hell in the UK.

OMG!!!!! "Hell in the UK". These threads are getting worse. From your post, it sounds like the UK is going to disintegrate into warring factions at a moments notice, where small guerrilla armies pop out of the wood work and take to arms against it's closest neighbour.

The news mentions a bloody review, on what it would mean "IF" certain departments had to cut between 25%-40% of their budget.

Don't panic Mr Mannering! You'll still have someone collecting your recycling.

 

[beorhthelm]

This wouldn't, and doesn't, happen in Germany.

i thought it did go through a period of austerity through the noughties? Agenda 2010 ring any bells?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Tell me the service being provided and how that might be effected rather than raw job numbers.

The decision to cut staff, although difficult for those in the firing line, might suggest that they can deliver the service with less staff.

Its a decision that every functioning business has to undertake, I absolutely know that its difficult for anyone to feel vulnerable in the workplace but whats the alternative if you accept that budgets are important.

We're talking schools, not "functioning business". I'm all for efficiency but I'd be saying, make yourselves x% more efficient and you can have more cash. We should be investing, not cutting.

 

[BigGully]

Given the economy is doing so well (Osborne's words, not mine) why all the cuts? 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. It makes no sense.

This wouldn't, and doesn't, happen in Germany.

My wifes a teacher, deputy head in a local school.

Its well resourced, appropriately staffed, dynamic and well managed.

They have the same budgetary constraints as anyone else, but seem to be making a bloody good fist of it.

I am sure they could do with a few more quid and a few more TA's, but budgets are important.

Why cannot the left even begin to understand that budgets are inevitable and necessary.

 

[Hatterlovesbrighton]

Government Department's were asked to model 25% and 40% cuts for the last spending review and the actual cuts were nowhere near that level. Many Government Department's will just ignore that instruction anyway and model much lower cuts, and then get into detailed discussions with HMT on the actual level of spending they will be provided with.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

i thought it did go through a period of austerity through the noughties?

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

 

[Nibble]

OMG!!!!! "Hell in the UK". These threads are getting worse. From your post, it sounds like the UK is going to disintegrate into warring factions at a moments notice, where small guerrilla armies pop out of the wood work and take to arms against it's closest neighbour.

The news mentions a bloody review, on what it would mean "IF" certain departments had to cut between 25%-40% of their budget.

Don't panic Mr Mannering! You'll still have someone collecting your recycling.

For some families already living on the breadline it will be, in the accepted, not literally sense of the word "Hell". I stand by it, despite your ridiculous post.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

My wifes a teacher, deputy head in a local school.

Its well resourced, appropriately staffed, dynamic and well managed.

They have the same budgetary constraints as anyone else, but seem to be making a bloody good fist of it.

I am sure they could do with a few more quid and a few more TA's, but budgets are important.

Why cannot the left even begin to understand that budgets are inevitable and necessary.

With all due respect, I'd rather hear how the school is doing from parents...not what the head tells her husband.

 

[Seagull58]

Osborne is a moron, pure and simple.

How can anyone at all, defend cuts of 25% or more? Its simply not realistic, if society is to smoothly roll along. The health service, policing, social services etc would simply fail to operate properly. 40% is insanity, to even consider. Madness. It'd be like Detroit, with 2 in 3 street lights disabled, and three working ambulances for a whole city.

Of course, when I say 'society' would fall apart - it wouldn't really - it would fray very badly at the edges. The 'society' Osbourne and Cameron and the political elite move in, wouldn't feel a thing.

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

 

[Simster]

Why cannot the left even begin to understand that budgets are inevitable and necessary.

Again, this is total nonsense. Not everyone on the left is a Derek Hatton clone. Have a look at the public sector borrowing levels and national debt under Labour (1997-2010) during their last terms in power.

Not particularly alarming.

Or are you genuinely claiming there are no people with economic views left-of-centre that are capable of understanding the concept and necessity of budgeting?

 

[piersa]

My wifes a teacher, deputy head in a local school.

Its well resourced, appropriately staffed, dynamic and well managed.

They have the same budgetary constraints as anyone else, but seem to be making a bloody good fist of it.

I am sure they could do with a few more quid and a few more TA's, but budgets are important.

Why cannot the left even begin to understand that budgets are inevitable and necessary.

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.

 

[Seagull58]

40% seems incomprehensible, clearly.

I'm sure here at chez Bozza we run a tighter ship than UK plc, but the thought of trying to save even 15-20% of our household budget would be difficult enough - 40% would be impossible, I think.

It's a shame that the ballot paper didn't have a "Tory with a sprinkling of Lib Dem moderation" box on it, eh?

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

 

[Hastings gull]

Given the economy is doing so well (Osborne's words, not mine) why all the cuts? 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. It makes no sense.

This wouldn't, and doesn't, happen in Germany.

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?