Package of support announced to boost Welsh language teacher recruitment when Rhondda Cynon Taf Council hands out redundancy notices
At the last count, Labour-run Rhondda Cynon Taf Council was sat on over £200 million in usable reserves so how much have they got now after another council tax hike
School supply agency spends 22/23
Rhondda Cynon Taf Council has announced that around 15% of its 115 schools are considering cutting teachers, which could affect up to 17 schools. The announcement has caused concern for teachers and the teaching union, Nasuwt, which claims that around 15 teacher jobs will be lost. Nasuwt has criticized the council for its actions, saying that it should “hang its head in shame.”
The council has attributed the cuts to falling pupil numbers and cutbacks after extra spending post-pandemic. The news comes after all teachers and staff at six schools in RCT were informed that their jobs were at risk due to reorganization. The consultation process involved 294 staff at Pontypridd High, Hawthorn High, Hawthorn Primary, Cilfynydd Primary, Ysgol Pontsionnorton, and Heol y Celyn Primary.
Teachers at around 17 other schools have also been given notices of possible redundancy. One affected teacher said that she and her colleagues were shocked to receive letters stating that their jobs were at risk. She stated that schools were struggling with rising costs, and her school would lose one teacher out of 12, and two out of 10 support staff would have to go.
The council has emphasized that it prioritized school funding, but some schools were affected by falling pupil numbers and cutbacks on extra spending post-pandemic. A spokesman for the council stated that school reserves amounted to over £20m at the beginning of the last financial year, and schools had been using these reserves and employing more capacity than their ongoing budget levels could support. This post-pandemic response was always going to need to be unwound.
The cuts will undoubtedly impact children’s education as classes will have to be amalgamated and get bigger. The affected schools are now awaiting further updates and announcements from the council on the specifics of the cuts.
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Package of support announced to boost Welsh language teacher recruitment
