A WELSH teachers’ union has called for additional funding promised by the government for education to be given directly to schools.

Welsh finance and local government minister Rebecca Evans announced on Wednesday that local authorities will be given an additional £25 million to support the social care workforce and schools, and to help councils with funding pressures.

The extra funding will form part of the Welsh government’s final Budget proposals, which will be published on February 27.

NAHT Cymru national secretary Laura Doel said: “Any additional money for education should be given direct to schools to help deal with the funding crisis they are facing.

“As our recent report into school funding showed, schools across Wales are in a desperate situation, with many being told they need to make cuts of up to 10 per cent and that they will not be allowed to set deficit budgets.

“This means schools have no alternative but to make valued and much-needed teaching assistants and teachers in some cases redundant.

“We call on all local authorities to listen to the profession, ring-fence the money which NAHT has campaigned for on a national scale for schools, and step in before it is too late.”