Teachers signed an agreement to carry out fewer mundane tasks

Wales' 22 Local Education Authorities (LEAs) say that more money is needed to fund schools, because teachers now have the right to refuse to do dozens of administrative tasks.

The workload agreement was signed in January this year between the Department for Education, the Welsh Assembly Government, and teaching unions with the exception of the NUT.

From 1 September, teachers in England and Wales could no longer be asked routinely to do any administrative or clerical tasks.

We expected local authorities to start to make provisions for this agreement in their budgets Jane Davidson

The change is part of the agreement on reducing teachers' workloads being implemented over the next few years.

The tasks now intended to be carried out by support staff and teaching assistants include collecting money from pupils and parents, investigating a pupil's absence and bulk photocopying.

The assembly government allocated �3m to cover the agreement.

True cost

But now BBC Radio Wales has learned that Local Education Authorities believe the true cost of servicing the agreement is �17m.

Welsh Education Minister, Jane Davidson, disputes the figures, adding that all parties signed up to the original agreement.

She said: "Local authorities have a contractual agreement to make sure they deliver teachers' pay and conditions.

"We expected local authorities to start to make provisions for this agreement in their budgets."

When asked if the assembly government was going to make up the alleged �14m shortfall, Ms Davidson said: "Absolutely not, because we don't accept the figures.

'Work together'

"We've asked them why they didn't make provision (for the agreement) in their education budgets.

"I would be very disappointed if LEAs were to abdicate from the agreement they signed.

"We all need to work together to make this work."

But Jeff Jones, education spokesman for the Welsh Local Government Association, said the shortfall was an issue for government rather than local authorities.

He added: "There's a �14m shortfall - we've proved that.

"I've written to every headteacher in my borough (Bridgend) asking them how much they will need to implement this agreement.

"We've heard this before - central government issues these initiatives and then expect the local taxpayer to fund them.

'Positive move'

"Teachers' pay is an England and Wales issue."

Mr Jones also claimed that boroughs in England had been given more money than their Welsh counterparts to implement the teacher workload agreement.

Terry Williams, headteacher of Litchard Junior School, in Bridgend, said the agreement was positive, but had not been funded properly.

He said: "When I heard about the initiative I thought it was a positive move, but it has to be funded.

"Eighty percent of my funding goes on teacher salaries and little goes on support materials.