Parents prepare to march for fairer school funding

There are ten days to go until parents take to the streets of Worthing to march for fairer funding for their children's schools.
West Sussex Save Our SchoolsWest Sussex Save Our Schools
West Sussex Save Our Schools

Led by the West Sussex Save Our Schools campaign, they will meet at Steyne Gardens at 2pm on Saturday April 21, before following a route through the town to the sea front.

West Sussex remains one of the lowest funded local authorities in the country for education, despite the introduction of the government’s National Funding Formula.

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The formula was lauded as being a much fairer way of dividing the country’s education budget but, while more money was put into the system, the government failed to allow for rising costs.

As a result, headteacherss have warned they actually have less money and will have to make cuts to staffing and the curriculum to make ends meet.

In addition, the funding of special schools and other high needs services were not included in the new formula.

In an interview with the Herlad recently, Phillip Potter, head of Oak Grove College warned his school faced a £220,000 budget shortfall next year despite having already lost six staff to voluntary redundancy.

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Campaigner Mel Pickett said: “We hope that parents, grandparents, children and other members of our local community will join us in marching for fair funding and a good education for all our children.

“Our schools are facing a funding crisis and there is no sign that it is being addressed. Funding is at a standstill while costs continue to rise, meaning that the quality of our children’s education is being severely compromised.

“The march is a way for us to peacefully highlight that we care about our children’s future and to campaign for fair funding for West Sussex schools – which currently have one of the lowest education budgets in the country.”

Sarah Maynard, added: “We are seeing the impact of the funding shortfall in our classrooms. Schools are not replacing vital support staff, they are struggling to recruit and keep good teachers and clubs and extra-curricular activities are being cut.

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“The result of this is that our kids are not getting the opportunities and quality of education they so rightly deserve.”

Anyone wishing to take part in the march should meet at Steyne Gardens, Worthing, at 2pm. The march will finish at around 3pm on the seafront.

For more information, email [email protected] .

The campaign can be followed on Facebook and Twitter .

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