The head of a Leeds school has warned of a "winter of discontent" for parents and pupils amid figures that show three in five teachers are providing struggling pupils food and clothes.
Teachers and teaching unions have issued the warnings and called on the government for greater support as the cost of living hits vulnerable kids.
Chris Dyson, head of Parklands primary school in Leeds, warned that the situation will worsen as bills rocket from October, saying: “It’s going to be unprecedented, a real winter of discontent.
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“I can’t see a shining light or a way out without firm government action. They’ve been talking about it since March but still no action."
Mr Dyson backed the plans from the Labour party to freeze current prices.
It comes as The Mirror reports that a poll carried out by a teaching union shows kind-hearted teachers are stepping in to shoulder the burden for their pupils. Stats from the NASUWT revealed 58% have donated food and clothing and 15% had lent cash to kids who were struggling for something to eat.
Union general secretary Patrick Roach said: “This is a deeply disturbing picture of the damaging impact of the cost of living crisis on children and young people the length and breadth of the country.
“It is outrageous that we should be seeing more and more families struggling or unable to feed, clothe or keep a roof over their children’s heads.”
Dr Roach called on the new Prime Minister to help youngsters and their families through the difficult autumn and winter, as the energy price cap kicks in and inflation hits household budgets.
The poll of 6,500 teachers shows a third have given advice on how youngsters and their families can access food banks. Two thirds had seen pupils as young as five turn up for school in torn clothes, without proper shoes and without pens and pencils.
Teachers reported paying for children’s lunches and hot drinks. One said they had seen some children come to school having not eaten anything but a packet of crisps in 24 hours. Others described asking relatives to donate winter coats to keep kids warm, or taking washing home for pupils.
John Hayes, head of Gospel Oak primary in North London, says they are having to rely on community fundraisers to buy equipment like computers.
“It’s horrific, it’s going to get worse,” he said. “This cost of living crisis is just adding to problems that have been around for years and the root cause is underfunding.
“The Government says they put more money into education than they ever have done in the past. What they don’t say is that the costs are completely outstripping that rise.”
Catherine Armistead, head of Skerton St Luke’s primary in Lancaster, said: “We’re having children being made homeless, with four families being evicted last year because they can’t keep up with the rent prices rising.
“The economic circumstances are a perfect storm. It’s the worst I’ve seen in my career."
A study by the University of York shows two-thirds of UK households will be in fuel poverty by January. The health of up to 10 million children could be affected directly or indirectly as a result, according to the UCL Institute of Health Equity.
The strain is taking its toll on pupils’ health, with three quarters of teachers reporting an increase in behaviour problems and two thirds seeing more who lack energy and concentration. More pupils were coming to school hungry at the end of the last school year, according to 60% of teachers.
The average starting salary for a teacher outside of London is £25,714 rising to £28,000 in September. But school heads say the much deserved rise will take away from schools’ budgets for other areas unless the Government boosts their funding.
And some have warned the pay rise, combined with energy price hikes, means they will have to cut staff. More than 36,000 teachers left the state sector in 2020/2021, up 4,000 on the previous year.
A survey released in the spring by the National Education Union showed 44% are planning on leaving in the next five years – with more than half citing their “unmanageable workload” as a factor.
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