The NUT warns of a schools funding crisis

The National Union of Teachers said the plans would encourage schools to cut costs by replacing fully qualified teachers with less qualified assistants.

All the other unions representing heads and teachers have signed the agreement and the NUT's lone stand has infuriated education ministers.

But this weekend the union leaders feel vindicated by growing evidence that schools are facing a funding crisis and that head teachers may not have enough money to implement the agreement they have signed.

Redundancies

On Friday the NUT warned that schools in England and Wales may have to make staff redundant and cut spending on books because of a lack of funds.

At its meeting in Harrogate it said the cash shortages were also threatening its plans to increase the role of classroom assistants.

Pete Bishop, a headteacher at a primary school in the Wirral, said he had already had to tackle some of the issues.

He said: "In my own school I have had to cut nearly �101,000 out of the budget, which will mean teaching staff redundancies and classroom support redundancies, as well as cuts in books and services like that."

Funding shortfalls

The NUT is insisting that the government "come clean" over its "incompetent" handling of school finances.

It said many have been left with six-figure funding shortfalls.

NUT general secretary Doug McAvoy said resources were being cut in an effort to balance the books, with hundreds of redundancies in prospect.

He said: "This situation results from government incompetence.