Education cuts of more than £1.2 million are being considered by Bradford Council to balance its books, according to a secret document leaked to the Telegraph and Argus.

The school library service, welfare benefit clothing grants, specialist ethnic minority language aid and repair budgets could all face swingeing cutbacks.

Education maintenance allowances for post-16 courses at school and colleges could be scrapped altogether.

And savings of £180,000 are to be realised by "structural" changes from the education directorate staff.

Education bosses say no final decisions have been taken and their aim is to protect schools from having to shoulder any reductions.

But teachers, unions and opposition councillors said they were appalled at the plans when academic achievement is already low.

"At the end of the day, there is pain associated with all of these cuts," said Simon Willis, head teacher at Carlton Bolling College and convenor for Bradford Upper Secondary Heads group.

"We have a problem of long term under-funding and under-achievement in Bradford which this will not address."

When the school league tables were published at the end of last year, Bradford languished near the bottom with only 29.6 per cent of pupils receiving five or more A*-C grade GCSE passes.

Five of the district's schools were named in the list of the worst 200 in the country in terms of their results.

The School Library Service Book Fund is set to be cut by more than a third - £34,000 off a pot of £94,000 - a decrease opposition councillors say flies in the face of schemes to raise literacy standards.

"How can Bradford have a Year of Literacy last year and be part of the National Year of Reading this year with no books?" said Councillor David Ward, Liberal Democrat spokesman on education.

Councillor Chris Greaves, for the Conservative group, said it was beyond belief that cuts in education were even being considered.

"Bradford Council should be giving more money to schools, spending more on classroom repairs, more on books and more on its teaching staff."

And he condemned the controlling Labour group for ignoring the democratic process by drawing up the secret plans.

Denholme First School head teacher, Mark Newman, who represents the National Association of Headteachers, said: "The downgrading of central services is a great shame. I am very disappointed, but we will have to wait and see what happens."

Bradford education committee chairman Councillor Jim Flood, said: "No final decisions have yet been made about where savings should be made and widespread discussions between the Council, schools and unions are still taking place to draw up firm proposals for consideration in the near future.

"Unfortunately, in line with other Government departments, the education directorate is facing some harsh decisions, but our aim is that the necessary savings will be made from the central budget and the schools budgets are protected."

Where the axe would fall

School Library Service Book Fund - cuts of £34,000, by having a stand still budget.

Welfare Benefits (clothing grants) - £50,000. This means the average grant to families would be reduced by £2.

Education Contract Services - £75,000, by increasing the cost of school meals by 5p this month and by staffing efficiencies.

Post-16 Discretionary Travel - £14,000, by revising policies for awards.

Repairs and maintenance - £200,000.

Central Directorate Staff - £180,000. Talks going ahead with unions on staffing restructures.

Education Maintenance Allowance - total of £264,000.

Workwear for school crossing patrols - £10,000.

Community Education - £10,000, by continuing with funding cuts.

Supply Teaching Staff - £20,000. Provision would be cut by five per cent, but maternity leave would not be affected.

On top of this, savings have been identified in areas where funding will come from a different source, usually central government.

Discretionary Awards - £200,000 as from April 1999: this will be dealt with by central government.

Section 11 - £50,000 even after S11 grant is replaced by different, larger pot of cash.

Music Services - £100,000. New fund again to pay for existing LEA music services.

Total saving of £1,207,000

T&A Opinion

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