Grim warnings about education cuts were issued this week.

Teaching jobs in South Craven are under threat and there are fears about educational services.

The concerns come in the wake of swinging cuts proposed by North Yorkshire county council to help reduce a massive budget shortfall for the coming financial year.

North Yorkshire proposes to use £12.98 million earmarked by the Government for schools on other services. If the proposal goes ahead, every school in the district will be forced to cut its budget by 2.5 per cent.

For South Craven School, at Cross Hills, this means a cut of £104,200 - the equivalent of four teachers. Glusburn County Primary School faces losing £10,900 and Sutton County Primary £7,500.

Glusburn acting head-teacher Val Ashdown says: "This is going to be discussed by our governors and all our parents have been notified. Although we are still not sure of the exact figures, it will mean a year of tightening our belts and not being able to expand on what we were hoping to. But we won't lose any teachers."

Last week John Daley, chairman of governors at South Craven School, made a desperate plea to Craven council to support the schools. Councillors agreed to back the motion. Mr Daley says: "I would like to say a big thank you to all those councillors who are supporting us, especially Steve Place, Ken Hart and Tim Cole. They have all done a lot for us. But we mustn't stop now. We must make sure that money goes into the education budget."

Colin Reeder, chairman of governors at Skipton Girls' High School, where a number of Keighley girls are educated, has written to parents urging them to write to their county councillor complaining about the proposed cuts. He says: "We believe that the county council will enforce this cut unless it is convinced by direct action from parents and by North Yorkshire council tax payers that the education service should receive the full allocation intended by the Government."

A report on estimated budget cuts and their implications for individual schools across the district has already been considered by the council.

Cllr John Dennis, chairman of the council's education committee, says: "Such a move will have a big impact on schools and the number of teachers they can afford, and if class sizes rise then standards don't."

Members of the education committee have urged the council's corporate policy committee to allocate the full £12.98 million to education.

Cllr Dennis adds: "We really needed £15 million, but the Government allocation to the county as a whole is so tight we know that is impossible. The £12.98 million wouldn't solve our problem entirely, but it could halve it."

At their meeting last weekend, the Skipton & Ripon Liberal Democrats unanimously deplored any cuts in tory-run North Yorkshire's services.

The controversy over the cash stems from fears by some councillors that it will be used by North Yorkshire to reduce its budget shortfall of £6 million. The £12.98 million was granted by the Government to cover anticipated increased spending on education over the next year.

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