MP urges government to rethink over damaging school cuts

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has written to the Department of Education, asking them to scrap plans for huge cuts to local schools.

According to new figures from the NUT and NAHT, around £13million is set to be cut from schools in Cumbria by 2020.

In Westmorland and Lonsdale, over £2.6million is planned to be cut, which would result in the loss of around 58 school teachers in the constituency.

Tim said: "The government's decision to plough ahead with these heavy cuts to schools show that they are continuing to ignore the needs of teachers and children up and down the country.

"These cutbacks will have a devastating effect on local schools, leading to teachers being made redundant and class sizes becoming bigger.

"This summer we saw one school close and many other local heads have to lose teaching staff, merge classes and make other cuts.

"I've written to the Department of Education urging them to think again and reverse these cuts which will have a damaging effect on the life chances of children in the South Lakes."