New figures show more than ten thousand support staff jobs lost.
GMB, the union for school support staff, today said that children’s education was suffering as support staff bear the brunt of school funding cuts.
New figures reveal that the overall school workforce in England fell in 2016.
This was the first reduction in education employment since 2011, when the records were compiled on a different basis.
The number of support staff declined from 462,200 in 2015 to 450,900 in 2016 – a cut of 11,300, jobs lost include site staff such as caretakers, administrative workers and catering staff.
Sharon Wilde, GMB National Officer for schools, said:
“Many school workers are in a desperate position, They are too often seen as a soft target, but support staff cuts are having a devastating impact on our schools.
Support staff are the hidden professionals of the education system. Without them teachers would be left with a completely unmanageable workload, and schools can’t function if buildings can’t be secured and children can’t be fed.
GMB is fighting to protect support staff jobs, but these shocking new figures underline what our members have been telling us for some time: thousands of posts have been lost, and the situation has already worsened in 2017”
The full statement can be found on GMB Website
Posted: 28th June 2017