Nurses wouldn’t be expected to pay for their patients’ paracetamol, nor would firefighters foot the bill for the water they use to put out fires. However, with schools in England having their budget slashed by £2.8bn since 2015 – which equates to £178,000 for each secondary school and £53,000 for each primary school on average – teachers are having to pay for essential items out of their own pockets. A recent survey by the National Education Union and TES found that 94% of teachers have to pay for essentials such as books and 73% regularly pay for stationery supplies due to a lack of school funding. Some teachers are even having to pay up to £1,000 in expenses, and two-thirds have made cash donations.
Additionally, 42% of parents have been asked to donate to their children’s school this year, while carers have been asked to provide teaching resources such as stationery and books, as well as essentials like toilet paper.
Here, teachers across the country describe the ways in which the funding crisis is affecting them. Dan, a teacher from Isle of Wight, explains that though staff were previously happy to spend their own money on small items for the children, the lack of funding is putting a strain on schools. He highlights the need for the government to provide adequate funding for schools, given the decline in salaries over the past decade.
Martin, a technology teacher from north-west England, discusses the financial burden teachers face. In his department, the budget of 20p per student per project is gone within a month and children often have to pay for resources themselves. Rachel, another teacher from north-west England, adds that not only are schools underfunded, but they are understaffed, and teachers are expected to take on more subjects than they specialise in. As a result, class sizes have increased.
It is clear that teachers across the country are struggling due to a lack of funding, and action needs to be taken to properly resource and fund schools so that children can receive a quality education. It is unfair and unreasonable to expect teachers to cover the costs of essential resources out of their own pockets.
As an educator, I frequently purchase classroom resources like notebooks, highlighters, reading materials, and magazines, and even provide students with lunch if the school is unwilling to cover their expenses. However, due to the wages freeze that has affected both my husband and me as fellow teachers, our standard of living has been substantially hindered, and we are constantly struggling to make ends meet.
The current state of staff morale has never been lower in my professional experience as educators are being spread thinly across several different roles. Time that was once designated for planning and administrative tasks is now being consumed by stringent responsibilities to cover for staff who cannot be replaced. This situation not only compromises the safety and mental well-being of our students but also leaves educators powerless to provide adequate support for their pupils.
The contention between students’ basic needs and vital educational provisions like pens and books is an ongoing concern. Subtracting the availability of these resources induces disobedience and behavioural issues that only worsen the learning environment. Consequently, teachers are left with no other option but to purchase these items themselves. Unfortunately, this further underscores the inadequacies of the schools’ budgets and salary freezes, leaving educators with no choice but to pull funds from their wallets.
Despite our efforts to use our finances carefully, I spend an average of £250 on school supplies that are fundamental to enhancing my students’ learning opportunities, such as art projects. Knowing that many teachers do not last because of such unsatisfactory conditions like these, I am left wondering why we are continually measured but not significantly compensated. The expenses we incur are often detrimental to us, to the point where we forgo holidays just to provide our students with necessary educational resources.
The diminishing yearly funding has resulted in increased expenditure on school supplies, leaving us with an impossible choice. Either we provide vital tools to help our students learn and grow, or teachers are let go, a difficult and soul-crushing decision that has widespread implications. As always, it is the students that suffer the most.
This week, my primary school students are participating in crafts, and I have had to utilize personal funds to purchase supplies such as gold paint since the school could not provide essentials like these. My class has a high percentage of students with special educational needs, making it more challenging to provide an inclusive environment. Sometimes I am forced to request that parents of these students send in materials that should have been readily available, and it is pertinent to always keep a sensitive disposition when making these requests as many families are living in poverty.
In conclusion, as educators, we are dedicated to nurturing young people and expanding their knowledge, but it is disheartening to see our efforts negatively affected by a lack of funding, salary freezes, and minimal support from the educational system.
