Schools could cut classes to just THREE DAYS a week as rising teacher salaries and huge energy bills cripple budgets | The Sun
August 14, 2022SCHOOLS are considering slashing classes to just THREE days a week as rising teacher salaries and monster energy bills erode budgets.
Headteachers, trustees and governors have been holding concerning "crisis meetings" to thrash out ideas to keep schools' finances in the black come September.
Amid energy bills rising by a whopping 300 percent and teacher pay rising, schools have been considering all options to save cash.
Marc Jordan, CEO of Creative Education Trust, which has 17 schools in the Midlands and East Anglia, told The Telegraph he'd caught wind that some schools are discussing a “three-day week” to save on costs.
Meanwhile Dr Robin Bevan, headmaster of top grammar school Southend High School for Boys in Essex, said four-day weeks "will certainly be being considered” by others.
He added how the slashed weeks are will become a "realistic prospect sooner rather than later” thanks to drastic underfunding of schools which haven't kept up with soaring inflation.
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Shorter school days and fewer after school clubs are likely to become a common sight in schools as well, another academy trust CEO warned.
And this will likely come alongside draconian restrictions on energy usage in schools up and down Britain as the nation weathers the energy price crisis.
Speaking about his own school, Dr Bevan revealed utility costs had risen by an astounding £200,000.
Rising salaries for teachers will add an additional £70,000 more than the Essex school had budgeted for, while a further £40,000 will need to be found for support staff.
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It comes as funding per pupil in England has collapsed by nine percent between 2010 and 2020 in real terms.
Despite this, the Government has pledged an extra £7 billion for school budgets in England by 2024.
The Sun Online have approached the Department for Education for comment.
The shocking revelations come as parents will be struggling to shell out on new uniform and back to school kit for their kids amid the soaring cost of living.
But new research has found the best days to pick up the essentials at the cheapest price.
And buying at the right time could save you nearly £200, according to Idealo data shared exclusively with The Sun.
Those wishing to pick up school bags should aim for August 26 for the best bargains.
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Meanwhile tablets are at their cheapest on September 8, costing £370.78, on average-25 percent cheaper than in January when they' avaeage £434.94.
Pens and pencils are estimated to be at their cheapest September 12 at £9.92 while sport lovers should pick up their football boots September 4 as they're predicted to be priced at £62.60.
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