United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May recently released a statement saying that a general election will take place amid the Brexit turmoil. Education unions saw the snap general election as a possibility to increase the budget of the education department.
Kevin Courtney, the General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, warned that the general election will most likely affect the education department so he called on the parents to fight the problem. He also threatened that the government will see an industrial action from the teaching profession, iNews shared.
Courtney continued to say that they want to pressure the candidates to oppose school budget cuts. He said the snap general election was their way to challenge the years-long cuts in the education department in England. He added, "In the run-up to this election, parents must demand of all politicians: will they invest in our country, will they invest in our children?"
Aside from threatening industrial action from the teaching profession, Courtney told the government that it would be an "absolute disgrace" if the officials did not respond to their statements regarding the general election. Courtney, who recently assumed the post in the union, noted that parents have to know who they are voting for and if these candidates support the funding of their children's schools.
The officials of the current administration promised an increase in school funding but they did not stick to their promises. The secretary of the union said that the arts, dance, drama and music classes had to be taken off of the curriculum due to the insufficient funding for schools.
The Association of School and College Leaders, another education union, echoed the sentiments of the National Union of Teachers. Geoff Barton, the General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, called on leaders and political parties to make changes in education. The National Association of Head Teachers general secretary Russell Hobby added that school funding cuts should be raised during the election campaign, The Guardian reported.
The general election in the United Kingdom will take place this June 8, 2017. Many supported the election announcement.
