Great start to #vote4education in Derby

Thanks so much to all the NUT members who volunteered their time to help make education a key issue for Derby voters today. We made a real impact with the people we spoke to and had a real presence in the town centre. The cupcakes were an especially big hit, so special thanks to Jan for the incredible baking effort, and Nicola for the rice paper logos! Special thanks also to James, who brought a hi-tech addition to the stall so that we could show people exactly how much their schools were going to lose, using the School Cuts website!

Speaking to people about the cuts it was clear that many people were completely unaware that 99% of schools face funding cuts, and £3 billion is to be taken out of school budgets in England and Wales by 2020 (at the same time as corporations and the wealthy will be given tax breaks amounting to £4 billion). Many didn't know that Derby, not one of the worst-hit areas in the country, will see its schools lose £5 million. When we talked to people about this they were often the first to say that this will mean larger class sizes, less support, and fewer teachers!

We've made a great start today. On June 8th the country will go to the polls for the general election. We want the people of Derby to be asking the candidates:

• Will you oppose these funding cuts?
• Will you work to restore education funding, investing in our children rather than harming their futures?

We would like as many members as possible to get involved in building this campaign over the next few weeks. Education should be at the top of voters minds and the top of every candidate's mind as we head towards polling day!

Will you help us? Everyone who comes out is a volunteer, a teacher giving up some of their time because they are passionate about the quality of education our children receive. With our workloads and family commitments it can be hard to find the time, but the next few weeks are crucial to shaping what kind of education our children will receive for years to come.

If you can help, please come to our next general meeting, this Thursday, 4.30 - 6 pm at our office in the City Road Business Centre, City Road, Derby DE1 3RQ. The Facebook event page is here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1067771923328138/

 We hope to see you there!