The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) is writing to all Westminster MPs to highlight that standards of education in the UK are at risk due to funding cuts.

Paul Whiteman, the NAHT’s General Secretary, is asking the government to give schools more funding in the upcoming autumn statement, in order to pay for resources and staffing.

“The autumn budget is the last chance for money to make it to schools this year. Please write to the chancellor of the exchequer to ask him to announce more money for schools,” Whiteman wrote to MPs.

He believes that despite education being “a vote-changer” for almost a million people during the last election, the government still does not understand the damage that underfunding is having on the British education system.

He said: “There’s a concern amongst school leaders, that despite the hundreds of letters written, and the thousands of parents, families and governors who have become campaigners, many MPs have failed to grasp the severity of the issue.”

The NAHT argues that the government changes that have occurred over the past few years have resulted in £2.8bn being taken out of schools’ front line budget.

Russell Hobby, former General Secretary at the NAHT, told BESA’s Resource Our Schools campaign that funding cuts are putting “the stability of the whole education system at risk.”

Over the summer, the government promised an extra £1.3bn for schools but parents and teachers are stating that is simply not enough to deliver a quality education.

Kathrin Williams, Business Manager at Christ The King College, also decided to support Resource Our Schools, saying:

“The government keeps saying that the largest funding ever is being put into education. What they fail to say is that, at the same time, the costs for staffing – including pay incremental rises and cost of living increases, changes to NI, pension increases, NLW and apprenticeship levy – have increased faster and higher than the funding. Therefore schools have effectively seen a funding decrease/shortfall for many years now.”

BESA’s Resource Our Schools campaign was set up earlier this year to highlight the funding crisis in schools and to ensure that every child has the resources they need to gain a quality education. The campaign has had over 500 signatures from teachers, parents, education suppliers and unions, including the NAHT, making it clear just how serious the situation really is.

If you would like to sign up and support our campaign click here.