Teachers and construction workers united against the Coalition Government's cuts in school building
Parents, pupils, teachers, school leaders and governors, local authority representatives, MPs from all parties and trade unions will gather in London on Monday 19 July, to lobby MPs and attend a rally to protest at the Coalition Government’s decision to scrap new school buildings for thousands of children across the country.
The NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union, initiated and is hosting the rally.
Alan Ritchie, General Secretary of UCATT, the construction workers’ union, said:
“Not only is this a betrayal of pupils, parents and the school workforce, this will have a devastating impact on the construction industry, resulting in tens of thousands of construction workers being consigned to the dole”
Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, said:
“The lobby and rally has captured the public mood of deep concern about the Coalition Government’s programme of cuts
“These cuts will inflict major damage on education provision in schools already in a dire physical condition and the public is right to be angry.
“The Government’s unilateral decision to axe school building projects without consultation and any published criteria to make clear why some building programmes have been stopped, has caused a widespread revolt.
“The Secretary of State’s publication of a series of inaccurate lists of schools affected has added insult to injury.
“Run down dilapidated buildings are not being replaced while schools in good repair are getting brand new buildings just because they are becoming academies.
“There is a direct link between these decisions and the Academies Bill being rushed through Parliament, also on Monday, using procedures normally reserved for anti-terrorist laws.
“These cuts are not necessary. They are being made not to save money but to fund the Government’s ideological scheme for elitist academies”.
