Robbing Peter to Pay Paul

January '96

FACE in Oxfordshire

Well done parents, governors and teachers and all FACE activists.

Last year, together we put education to the top of every Political Party's agenda and in particular forced the Treasury into protecting the education services in its Autumn Budget statement. On November 30th Kenneth Clarke announced £770m "extra" Government funding for State Education. Gillian Shephard strongly indicated that this extra money should be passed directly through to schools.

However he also stated that the total funding across all services was not being increased and that other services would have to make efficiency savings to balance this. In Oxfordshire's case the County Council has received only half the funding required to prevent further cuts in services. If they direct all the education funding into schools then in their opinion other services will be hit intolerably.

Oxfordshire County Council Reaction

On December 21st, in response to the budget all three parties which constitute the OCC acted together and wrote to the Government pointing to the dire consequences of the underfunding and asking to be allowed to raise the cap from 3% to 5%. Stating that if they were not permitted to do this then the "extra" education money would have to be spread across all services. OCC had initially asked for 6.7% (£24m) increase to stand still. It has been allocated 3.2% (£12m).

On January 10th the OCC met with the Minister, David Curry, to present their case in detail. We await the outcome. As far as education goes OCC has received only 3.2%, which is less than the National average, so that schools are looking at guaranteed cuts of 2.2% minimum even if OCC passes all money through to schools as Gillian Shephard wants. For example the Education SSA formula has changed so that Oxfordshire is now 0.9% worse off. Also new legislation has come concerning bus seat belts which the Government refuse to fund. If OCC share the burden of cuts across all services then the education cuts will rise to 5%.

Last year's education spending was cut by 5.8% and OCC job losses were 450, of which 130 plus were teaching posts.

The FACE Response

• FACE believes that the £770m is far too little. The National Governor's Council calculated that schools needed £2,454m increase in the Autumn Budget to restore education to the levels of two years ago.
• FACE presses for entirety of SSA to be passed directly to schools. It recognises that its funding level is inadequate and continues to press central government for further funds since we have already paid our taxes.
• FACE deplores that Oxfordshire has been issued with an Area Cost Adjustment factor of only 3.2% whereas the national averages 4.5%.
• FACE recognises the invidious position of the OCC where Education is supported at the expense of other services. It deplores that this money is taken from other services instead of being an increase in overall budget. Those who feel strongly about other services are commended to support other campaigns, such as "Stop The Cuts Campaign".
• FACE Supports the County Council's bid to raise the cap. It pragmatically and reluctantly supports the probable raising of Council Taxes. Our children will not get another chance so we must support every attempt to improve the education service by both the Government and the OCC.
• FACE has complete confidence in its schools' governors and staff. It thanks the OCC for the priority it has given to education in previous years and welcomes its attempts to protect all services.

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Prepared by FACE Cherwell Pyramid, 2 February, 1996
Andy Swarbrick, 01865-58368