Times are hard schools in England because they have so little money to spend. They have to cut back many things. There is austerity the UK so the government has cut school budgets. One head teacher a school in London does not have enough money to pay cleaners or canteen staff. This means she has to help to clean the toilets and serve students the school cafeteria. Ms Siobhan Lowe is head Tolworth Girls' School south London. She recently told reporters that she was embarrassed because her school did not have enough money to support her students. Ms Lowe said she has sold school land, cut subjects and fired her deputy-head teacher to keep her school open.
The south London school is typical many schools in the UK. Thousands head teachers have to make difficult decisions about how to spend their school's money. More than 7,000 head teachers recently wrote to 3.5 million parents to explain why the schools have no money. Many parents have become volunteers schools to help the children. Some schools have asked parents to provide toilet paper and other basics the school toilets and classrooms. One school only has enough money to give students one sheet A4 paper a month. Head teachers want to meet the UK's education secretary, but he refused to meet them. The UK's Department Education said funding education was a government priority.
