THE ANGER is bullding again over cuts in education just a few weeks into term, as parents, teachers and school students survey the damage done by last year's cutbacks.
The mood is building for the national demonstration against cuts in schools, called by Fight Against Cuts in Education (FACE) on SepThousands of teaching posts and thousands more support staff have been axed over the summermany of them through 'voluntary severance, early retirement, 'natushort-term contreats.
However they went, the loss of these staff has pushed up class sizes in schools across the country.
But there is worse to come. Chancellor Kenneth Clarke is searching for yet more spending cuts to finance budget tax handouts. Even Education Secretary Gillian Shephard is warning her colleagues that the Tories are not spending enough to sustain standards in education.
Class sizes
Every further cut will mean class sizes willincrease. More than a million children are now beIng taught in classes of over 30.
But angry parents, governors and teachers are beginning to fight back and organise for September In Oxfordshire a county-wide "council of war' to link local campaigns and coordinate action for a new school year attracted over 75 enthisiastic representatives, and a 150-strong conference of secondary school head teachers and gorarnors gave a standing ovation 1o rAcE nanona Chair sue Liter who spelled out the determination to fight on.
Ten coaches (including one sponsored by a local UNISON branch) are already booked from Groups of students and school students are organising contingents for the march, which has been backed by UNISON, the GMB, the NASUWT and many branches of the NUT.
No cuts The FACE demands are simple: halt and reverse the cuts, and no classes larger than 30. Governing bodies are again urged to refuse to make cuts, and to craw up istead budgets based on the educaThis fightback could be a focal and key to the next election.
Be there on September 30 -and bring your banners! FACE demo LONDON SATURDAY Assemble 12.30, Embankment March to Hyde Park
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 90, September 23 1995, Page 2