The cultural capital of our young people is under threat as a consequence of this under-investment in schools and arts facilities. In 2018, David Carter, the then National Schools Commissioner for England, commented: “The reduction in the number of children studying the arts will have a knock on to the cultural capital of this country.” What has been exacerbated, through underfunding, is the already existing inequality in the way that cultural capital is distributed. Some, via their privileged education, have the advantage of being able to access a rich diet of high culture whilst others are now being denied that access.

For those who continue to deny that there’s a crisis in our schools then the latest workforce survey carried out by the DfE for me says it all. Compared to last year, England’s schools have 5,400 fewer Teachers, 2,800 fewer teaching assistants and 2,600 fewer support staff despite the fact that our schools have 137,000 more pupils to teach.

Should school leaders and those in government and those who represent teachers be making their voices heard more when it comes to the funding crisis that is crippling education in this country? Here’s one voice: “Please listen to us: it’s going to have dire consequences. Everything we do in this schools is to improve life chances of children, and they are very dear to me and that’s why I do my job, and I feel the choices I’m being forced to make will have a detrimental impact on my children and that’s unfair.”
“I’m here to do a job for our children and for our families and I’m being restricted.”