A TEACHING union has thrown its support behind the Echo campaign to stop cuts to school funding.

We are calling on the Government to rethink its proposed new National Funding Formula, which will see hundreds of schools across south Essex lose out.

Our petition was signed by nearly 70 readers in its first 24 hours.

The National Union of Teachers is supporting the campaign to stop the cuts – which could lead to the loss of teachers and support staff, bigger class sizes and cuts to the curriculum.

Southend will be particularly badly hit, with every single school seeing cuts in funding.

Jerry Glazier, regional spokesman for the union,said: “We will be right behind this campaign. We are saying the Govenment has got the National Funding Formula wrong.

“The primary reason for that is its a redistribution of an inadequate amount of money. Schools are facing significant cuts because the cash does not reflect the schools’ true value.”

Mr Glazier added: “We are already seeing schools cutting thinks like music, geography and PE and they will be looking at cutting non-teaching staff and support teachers.

“We’ve said that schools would need £2.5billion between now and 20-20 and we were criticised for being alarmist but the National Audit Office has said the figure was more like £3billion so we were being conservative

“We are the sixth richest country in the world. We have to give our children the best education we can.”

The Education Policy Institute has added its voice to a growing outcry against the cuts. The institute said the average secondary in England is facing losses of almost £300,000, while primaries will lose out on tens of thousands of pounds.

To sign the Echo petition, visit change.org/p/uk-government-stop-government-plans-to-cut-funding-for-our-schools