Just a week ago the Telegraph & Argus held its Schools Awards, which celebrated the very best work that is going on in classrooms and schools across our district.

Today we report that financial pressures on our local education system could be so tough that eventually we see budgets so tight that teachers are cleaning their own classrooms at the end of the day to save money.

This might well be a worst-case scenario, but the problem is very real, and one that must be tackled without further delay.

Spending on education is simply not optional - it is a priority. We all know that public spending continues to be hacked back as austerity economics still holds sway, but somehow the money must be found to allow our schools to do their jobs properly.

A report into the matter talks of schools needing to be "financially secure" and "balancing their budgets". Really, these should not be considerations that are at the forefront of any head's mind.

They should instead be concentrating on how to raise levels of educational attainment and turn out children that have the very best chances in life for the worlds of work or further education.

No-one is naive enough to think there is a magic want to wave which will make the funding crisis facing schools go away. But if we cut schools back to the bone so much that teachers are doubling up on other tasks, and not getting paid a living wage for it, how on earth do we expect to attract the best candidates into our schools to teach our children?