Yahoo News 'It's a national scandal' - voters in South Shields slam the lack of funding schools receive
Recruiting more teachers because many are overworked and a reform of the grading system would help improve schools, argued residents of South Shields. We are speaking to voters all over the North East in the run-up to July 4.
Nick Jones, 36 who runs South Shields Surf CIC, said: “Start funding schools and the services around them that have been gutted by 14 years of austerity. Get the youth services going again, get the libraries going again.
“The fact that schools are getting the blame for any of the stuff going on is ridiculous. We work with teachers all the time and they have so many jobs and they’re doing so much work, it’s no wonder they’re flooding away from the industry. It’s a national scandal.”
Lynn Milly, 59 argued the grading system and league tables should be scrapped. She said: “They’ve caused a massive impact on teachers and also children, on their stresses and behaviours. One school could be deemed excellent and then another year it’s not.”
The NHS and the waitlists for appointments and dentists, social care, illegal immigration, the state of the economy and public services and local councils were other issues important to residents in South Shields.
Colin Heslop, 39 from Hebburn, said: “This council (South Tyneside), it’s been weeks, since the beginning of the year, we haven’t had proper bin collections so that needs sorting out.”
John Beattie, 57 said immigration is a problem because taxes are being used to pay for immigrants when they could be used on local services.
Dean Proudfoot, 56 added interest rates and trust and confidence in politicians were important to him
Support for both Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer was muted in South Shields, with neither candidate getting much praise.
Voters were not overly convinced by the Labour leader as he was described as “hopefully capable, inexperienced and not much better than the Prime Minister” with Nick adding “guess he’ll do”.
The Prime Minister did not fare any better, coming in for more criticism than Mr Starmer. Residents described him as “a load of rubbish, unelected, untrustworthy, inexperienced and a busted flush.”
Colin Heslop said it is hard to defend the Conservative leader, but said some of the criticisms of him are unfair. He added: “Everything he’s gone through, it would be difficult for anyone to come out any better off.
“But he does need to be sterner with some people that work for him, he’s too soft sometimes.”
