Lib Dem leader warns of teaching crisis if government freezes school spending

Hundreds of teachers and staff are facing redundancy as a third of schools have had their budget cut, according to the Liberal Democrats.

Leader Nick Clegg will warn in a speech today that England’s schools are heading for a “funding squeeze”.

He will say Tony Blair’s slogan of “education, education, education” will be replaced by Brown’s “cuts, cuts, cuts”.

Clegg will claim the cuts will be made as education spending will be frozen for the rest of this parliament, and that 7,700 schools will face real funding cuts this year.

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However, schools minister Jim Knight dismissed the claims.

“This is typically inaccurate and misleading nonsense from the Lib Dems,” he said. “Local authorities have received an average per-pupil funding increase of 4.6% this year and schools in turn are guaranteeing a minimum increase of 2.1% per pupil.”