HEADTEACHERS who’ve penned an “extraordinary” letter urging parents to lobby on school funding have been accused of not taking part in a consultation themselves. 

Cllr Martyn Groucutt, the cabinet member for education in Monmouthshire, accused the headteachers’ association of not having provided its views to the council’s budget consultation earlier this year.

The Abergavenny Labour councillor, and former headteacher, said: “It was regrettable that the primary headteachers organisation did not participate in this consultation to put their views but many parents did.” 

He said as a result the council agreed to “slightly raise” the council tax increase already proposed which allowed it to raise the school’s budget by more than £800,000 when the budget passed in February. 

Monmouthshire County Council has said it held “extensive consultation” with headteachers, chairs of governors and students. 

While education is a devolved matter, and the Labour Welsh Government allocates funding to local authorities for schools and other services, it has complained public spending has reduced under the Westminster Conservative government.  

Labour councillors in Monmouthshire have also claimed the Welsh Government, which determines most of the council’s funding, is under funded by Westminster. 

Cllr Groucutt said: “I hope that Labour’s priorities will see an increase in resources for education, but let’s get Catherine Fookes into Parliament first.” 

He said he believed a Labour government in London would “look far more favourably on devolved areas of government” and said: “There may not be more money in the total pot, but I hope that we have more opportunities to shape our future destiny.” 

Monmouthshire Conservative opposition leader Richard John said he hopes parents will raise funding for Monmouthshire schools with general election candidates, even though education in Wales is outside of Westminster’s control. 

The Mitchell Troy and Trellech councillor said he was shocked by the letter adding, “I hope residents will raise these issues on the doorstep and ask Labour candidates to justify the actions of Vaughan Gething’s government and the Labour-run council, which proposed school cuts earlier this year of £835,000.”