Schools are being forced to decide whether to axe teachers and their assistants in a bid to solve a growing cash crisis.

Teachers and non-teaching staff could lose their jobs because Southend's schools are struggling to balance their budgets.

An emergency meeting has been called between the borough's education chiefs and headteachers to form a "united front" - and convince the Government to stump up more cash.

Redundancies are expected to hit schools throughout Essex because of a rise in outgoings due to increases in national insurance, pension payments and teachers salaries.

The county's schools have been harder hit by the Government's local cost adjustment where money is stripped from the south and ploughed into the north of the country.

Those which come under Essex County Council, including Rochford and Rayleigh, will be hit by around 70 redundancies.

Sally Carr, Southend's executive councillor for education and lifelong learning, has written to education secretary Charles Clarke to highlight the towns' plight.

She said: "It wasn't until we worked out each school's individual budgets and what the Government wasn't funding that we realised there was a problem.

"The money they have been given does not cover the costs of running the school.

"Despite a modest increase in the Government grant awarded to the LEA of 8.2 per cent, the schools' outgoings have risen by 10.5 per cent. As a LEA, we have passed on every penny and more."

Mrs Carr added there was a "possibility" of teaching and non-teaching staff redundancies in Southend but could not say how many jobs could go.

National Union of Teachers' representative in the south east, Jerry Glazier, says the irony about the situation is there is still a major teacher shortage in the county.

He said: "There is huge pressure on schools and some realise they are not going to have enough money for the next financial year and have to cut costs."

Published Tuesday, April 15, 2003

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