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This week marks the beginning of the end for many local authority services to schools, as the first wave of staffing cuts kick-in, writes Chris Waterman On Tuesday, in the rarefied, oak-panelled atmosphere of committee room 9 at the Palace of Westminster, the Education Bill completed its House of Commons committee stage, after 22 meetings, the longest of which stretched to six hours. The clubby dialogue between coalition MPs and those of the Opposition seem a very long way from the reality of the situation in local authorities, communities and schools, with budgets for 2011 set and starting to come into effect. Chris Waterman: ‘Central government has made political capital' (Pic:Shutterstock) In what must seem to the outside observer a parallel universe, many hours were spent discussing the risks of allowing teachers to search pupils of the opposite sex, without even another member of staff being present, and the implications of teachers giving no-notice detentions – two new powers which teachers don't even want and didn't ask for. There have been long debates on abolishing the General Teaching Council, the Training and Development Agency, the School Support Staff Negotiating Body, the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Agency, and the Young People's Learning Agency. But don't be fooled. Most of their work will be undertaken by new executive agencies, located within the Department for Education, where ministers can keep a much closer eye on them. Even more arcane was the debate on the decision not to rename pupil referral units (PRUs) as short-stay schools. Meanwhile, in the real world, local authorities have been finalising their budgets for 2011-12 in meetings much less relaxed than in committee room 9. Councillors have been making the toughest decisions anyone can remember. Although the White Paper which preceded the Bill talked of the ‘indispensable' and ‘strong strategic role' of local authorities, the parlous state they have been placed in by the front-loaded cuts will mean that few of them will have the resources to play much of a role at all. Certainly, the Government made very clear that its intention to prevent local authorities from setting up new schools would be on the statute book by the end of the year. The only exception will be if no-one else in an area wants to – but with some academy chains talking of running hundreds of schools, there will always be a bidder. This week sees the beginning of the end for many local authority services to schools – and lots of many empty desks in town halls as the first real wave of staffing cuts kicked in. In some areas, support services have all but disappeared, with teams of advisers, educational psychologists, and finance and personnel staff all looking for other jobs or trying to sell their services to schools – often at rates which few schools can afford. An army of school improvement partners is casting around for work as many schools dispense with the ‘support and challenge' professionals who are now an optional extra. Central government has made political capital – as opposed to bricks and mortar capital – of removing ring-fenced budgets to allow local authorities to decide on the priorities for their locality. One particularly interesting example is the early intervention grant – which itself will not be ring-fenced – subsumes separate grants for 20-odd areas of activity. As Sure Start centres and other services close, central government will point the finger at local councillors, without acknowledging that the total budget has been cut. ‘Local' decision-making is resulting in the closure of libraries, leisure centres youth services, careers services – Connexions, family support services and Sure Start centres. Some large authorities have worked out the minimum services they need to provide to meet their statutory requirements, and are sticking to that. The minimum is now the maximum. For many students, the loss of the education maintenance allowance (EMA) will mean a drop in participation rates beyond 16, on the eve of the introduction of compulsory participation to 18+. It's little wonder that the Bill delays the introduction of any sanctions if young people don't participate. For those who do stay on for A levels, there will be another fine judgment to be made about going to university, as the average annual tuition fee looks like being much closer to the £9,000 a year than the Government expected. Against the backdrop of this local authority Armageddon, judgment day for many local authority councillors will take place on 5 May. This will be the first major test of public reaction to the coalition's economic policies, and will be heavily influenced by what has happened to public services and jobs in those areas. It will be a shame that the voters, in order to make their views known, will in effect be shooting the local councillor messengers, many of whom are having to make the most difficult decisions of their political lives. Chris Waterman is the director of design for The Reduced Policy Company, www.reducedpolicycompany.com

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Turning off the lights

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