BASINGSTOKE and the surrounding area could potentially lose over 1,400 teachers and around £318 per pupil on average because of government cuts to their budgets, unions warn.

According to statistics released by the National Union of Teachers (NUT), Hampshire could lose more than £51 million in education funding by 2019-2020 with Basingstoke potentially losing more than £3 million in education funding.

The NUT’s figures also claim that Hampshire could lose £52.8million and 1,419 teachers in total by 2019, though the numbers have been disputed by politicians and education officials.

The unions claim that schools will be forced to cut staff, increase class sizes, restrict the number of subjects taught and reduce extra-curricular activities to save money.

The NUT’s figures, which have been backed by the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), relate to a proposed new funding formula for schools.

Both the NUT and the ATL have claimed that 90 per cent of schools across the UK will lose out under the changes, although the DfE has said the changes will mean a fairer distribution of cash.

Not everyone agrees with the NUT’s assessment of the education funding changes.

MP for North East Hampshire, Ranil Jayawardena, disputes the claims made by the unions, branding them ‘fake news’.

He said: “The NUT’s figures are complete nonsense and I can only think no maths teachers have worked on them.

“Local schools in north east Hampshire will gain more than £1million a year in total, with an increase across Hampshire of over £4.5million.”

MP for North West Hampshire Kit Malthouse said of the potential changes: “The NUT campaign is based on financial assumptions which are highly questionable and an acceptance that the current system, which favours urban areas is somehow fair.”

“It is not, and I am confident that the final proposals will represent a better distribution of funds across the country.”

Basingstoke MP Maria Miller said: “For too long Basingstoke schools have received lower levels of funding because of an unfair national funding formula that penalises towns like Basingstoke.

“The facts are clear - Hampshire currently receives the third lowest level of funding in the country despite the challenges of a rural county and significant areas of deprivation.”