SCHOOL leaders are calling on the new Plaid Cymru government today to do the right thing by children and invest urgently in Welsh education.

Schools in Wales face a £137 million shortfall in budgets this financial year, according to the Welsh Local Government Association.

Head teachers’ union NAHT Cymru’s Laura Doel said: “Schools are facing really severe funding pressures and some are struggling with growing deficits.

“The simple truth is that schools are not getting the money they need to consistently deliver for pupils or even to maintain a safe and inspiring learning environment in some cases.

“At their spring conference, Plaid spoke about getting back to basics when it came to education — what could be more basic than ensuring schools have sufficient funding?

“Now they have a golden opportunity to do the right thing and provide the urgent investment schools and children need.”

Wales is set to receive a further £555m consequential funding from the UK government over the next three years, which Ms Doel said gave Plaid the chance to boost school budgets.

But she said that during the 2026/27 budget process, the outgoing Welsh government failed to give schools their fair share of consequential funding.

NAHT Cymru also carried out a survey of its members which showed Welsh schools are facing choices between cuts to staffing and provision.

The union warns that many school buildings are in a shocking condition, with more than half (51 per cent) reporting that they had buildings or areas that were out of use or not fit for purpose.

The Welsh government declined to comment.