Cutting teachers will be an election gift for Labour

Published: 25th March 2010

• IT is one thing for our civil servants, under the whip of savage funding cuts from central government, to pass on the economies to the taxpayers in Camden.
It could be said that they would have no other choice.
But it is quite another thing if the same civil servants at the Town Hall are anticipating such cuts and are suggesting economies be made within the next few months.
This appears to be the case in education in Camden.
Both teachers and school governors, it is understood, are being told that economies must be made – and made in the one sphere that needs it least, the teaching pool at schools.
Every time a commercial company or a public sector entity sets out to balance the books, it will start by cutting the wage bill.
What is the BA dispute about if not the intention of the management to cut the numbers of the cabin crew?
The same goes for our schools.
Officials are making it clear that teachers are in the firing line. Fewer teachers or teaching assistants mean bigger class sizes, more disruption in classrooms and poorer education.
If this were to happen, won’t the council representatives of the Lib-Dem and Tory parties find themselves in an indefensible position? Especially as all parliamentary parties appear to be pledging to “ring-fence” education and health in future budgets.
The local elections are almost upon us. Isn’t all this a gift to Labour who have started a stylish and vigorous campaign on the subject.