Wrexham Schools budgets almost down by £1m at financial year end
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Just been through the very concerning article here on the site.
Warning of ‘cuts in all aspects to the running of both schools’ as budget impacts hit
The difference in the financial year beginning to year-end 2017/18 – the school budgets are expected to see a whopping £987,867 less in the overall coffers. Now this is just before we see continued insufficient funding from the latest budget passed last week, so the situation is only going to get worse it seems.
Now looking at the table vs all the schools, I was wondering what Licensed Deficit Approved actually entails? The schools are being allowed to run at a deficit, but who approves it and does any additional cash come in from the Welsh Government? Or is it just the council holding their hands up and saying these schools are basically a money sink and the schools can continue to rack up huge debts at the expense of the rate payer? At which point you have to ask, are these schools being ran as efficiently as they can be and what can be done to stop these money sinks? PLUS also stopping an unfair situation where other schools in Wrexham are actually being penalised for being fiscally prudent – by not spending beyond their means.
If you look at the overall big picture, the county’s Primary Schools seem to be ran quite well and despite seeing an overall budget drop of almost £300,000 that is between a large number of schools, so the effects will be relatively cushioned (although yes, smaller schools means smaller budget cuts will impact), obviously with some schools being majorly impacted – e.g. Plas Coch, Bro Alun that we know about so far.
However, what on earth is going to happen in the secondary schools? As we already know from the recent analysis and debate following on from Bryn Alyn’s failed inspection, the schools are already struggling and many already in poor financial health despite some of them having received additional monies from the Welsh Government to try and turn things around. What on earth is a financial BLACK HOLE of -£666,123 going to do to school conditions there. Why is no-one standing there ringing a massive metaphorical fire-bell and warning at the top of their lungs that something dreadful is about to happen for the education of 11-16 year olds in this county?
How has a budget even been allowed to pass where this level of negligence against the young is to be permitted?
Whilst it wouldn’t seem sensible to hit the Council’s cash reserves, something needs to be done or everything is going to collapse. Some kind of emergency meeting on schools needs to take place with all the major stakeholders there. We need to know which councillors are school governors – they have serious questions to answer, the local MPs and AMs need to get involved and Kirsty Williams education AM also needs to get up from Cardiff and see exactly what’s happened.The time for political footballing is over, we can’t afford to have the council blaming the Welsh Government and the Welsh Government in turn blaming the Conservatives in Westminster and also back to the Tory/Independent council. They all need to bang their heads together and bloody sort this mess out for the sake of the children of this town.
The war of words continues….
Clr Wynn obviously unimpressed by the blame game, but whilst this political back and forth goes on about who is to blame, not a single additional £ has been found for Wrexham schools.
A greater emphasis seems to be about rowing about who is accepting what additional pay instead of the task in hand.
You know what, councillors, AMs and any politicians & public servants in general, instead of rowing about who gets paid what, how about you actually earn that £££ by doing your jobs properly, one of which is safeguarding the future welfare, social development and employability of Welsh children.
Until that goal is met, or we have a genuine solution working towards turning around this dire situation then none of those responsible deserve their pay and they should all be forced to consider their positions.
The Leader managed to show an accurate representation of the state of Wrexham’s schooling system today by doing such a dreadful print run that the majority of pictures for Mother’s Day from the children were invisible with none of the names and ages even showing up.
Our children are being completely alienated and let down.
Cllr Wynn and others including AMs need to realise that they have betrayed over 3000 children in the past 2 years as they have been in schools in Special Measures.
Every child and young person along with their parents should leave their school desks and start protesting as enough is enough. These children and young people are so far behind many of their peers in other areas that it will have an impact for the rest of their lives as the anguish behind those who have had a better education.
As a start, our politicians at all levels need to look very closely at their own children, grandchildren and think about THEIR future- get it right for them and you will get it right for everyone.
Stop blame shifting and start doing something – bring your Councilor to account for their actions- everyone one of them that supported the budget last week is a failing Councillor and deserves to have their own assessment marked down as Fail, Fail, Fail.
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