Cost of living crisis.

[leicsmac]

42 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

You're only talking about power needs though. There's lots of reports out there, from the likes of the green alliance, which state every major sector in the UK has a significant skills gap to close to enable them to reach net zero. There are huge skills shortages especially in housing and land use. There are millions of jobs that need to be filled in the green space and multiple new industries that will come out of this, e.g. assuring esg credentials and data manipulation. Leicsmac often talks about needing to do this despite the financial cost, because the human cost will be worse. You don't have to care about the human cost, any capitalist should be investing in the transition and associated skills. There are huge sums of money to be made, far more of a stable revenue stream than gas and oil exploration.

 

edit - this is the report - https://green-alliance.org.uk/publication/closing-the-uks-green-skills-gap/

Right, because it's a point that apparently too many people in too many places either can't or won't grasp. Of course, it being a moneymaker as you describe here would make it an easier sell, which would be good from the point of view of it being more likely to happen due to humans being driven by immediate base purposes.

 

One day, however, it might be a necessity to look further ahead than just the balance sheet in order to have balance sheets at all in the near future.

 

17 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

Probably because they get voted out before there's any sort of result, so it's not in their interest. Don't forget though, technical achievements during the 18th century were down to private individuals and their inventions.

I'll believe a private company or individual has the inclination and resources to solve this particular problem when I see it.

[yorkie1999]

50 minutes ago, grobyfox1990 said:

You're only talking about power needs though. There's lots of reports out there, from the likes of the green alliance, which state every major sector in the UK has a significant skills gap to close to enable them to reach net zero. There are huge skills shortages especially in housing and land use. There are millions of jobs that need to be filled in the green space and multiple new industries that will come out of this, e.g. assuring esg credentials and data manipulation. Leicsmac often talks about needing to do this despite the financial cost, because the human cost will be worse. You don't have to care about the human cost, any capitalist should be investing in the transition and associated skills. There are huge sums of money to be made, far more of a stable revenue stream than gas and oil exploration.

 

edit - this is the report - https://green-alliance.org.uk/publication/closing-the-uks-green-skills-gap/

i'm talking about why this country was wealthy, and why it's no longer wealthy. Net zero will be achieved one day but it won't be exclusive to this country, and this country won't become wealthy because of it, it'll probably be poorer as we buy in the technology from countries like Denmark and Germany (i'm talking about wind turbines) and we'll have to carry on buying them as they have a lifespan of 20 years and it takes 15 - 20 years before there's a payback on the initial cost v the value of electricity, obviously ignoring the many variables.  

[yorkie1999]

21 minutes ago, leicsmac said:

Right, because it's a point that apparently too many people in too many places either can't or won't grasp. Of course, it being a moneymaker as you describe here would make it an easier sell, which would be good from the point of view of it being more likely to happen due to humans being driven by immediate base purposes.

 

One day, however, it might be a necessity to look further ahead than just the balance sheet in order to have balance sheets at all in the near future.

 

I'll believe a private company or individual has the inclination and resources to solve this particular problem when I see it.

Elon Musk is the only person i can think of because electricity is central to his business. Cost goes up, the less valuable his cars are.

[FoyleFox]

What's the general consensus on the power outages? Initially, I'd read it as slight scaremongering and saw a few statements that it was, in the 'highly unlikely' event category, these might be introduced.

 

The OH has been looking at options if the electric goes for a few scheduled hours. A portable gas heater is £150 - £300. Which seems a bit steep as a back-up plan because the MSM are just trying to scare people. I'd planned to just crank up the heating in the preceding few hours and hope it stays warm until it's back on. Had considered a couple of rechargeable lights, only a few quid on Amazon and will be usable in the garden if nothing else. Highly reluctant to shell out much more for an unlikely event - but is it?

[Free Falling Foxes]

8 minutes ago, FoyleFox said:

What's the general consensus on the power outages? Initially, I'd read it as slight scaremongering and saw a few statements that it was, in the 'highly unlikely' event category, these might be introduced.

 

The OH has been looking at options if the electric goes for a few scheduled hours. A portable gas heater is £150 - £300. Which seems a bit steep as a back-up plan because the MSM are just trying to scare people. I'd planned to just crank up the heating in the preceding few hours and hope it stays warm until it's back on. Had considered a couple of rechargeable lights, only a few quid on Amazon and will be usable in the garden if nothing else. Highly reluctant to shell out much more for an unlikely event - but is it?

Any outages will published beforehand. Those of us old enough to recall the 3 day week, will remember we knew what time the power was going off and back on.

Just make sure you have shower or whatever outside of those times and cook when appropriate.

For everything else, get a couple of wind-up torches and wind-up/battery radio and put a thick cardy on.

Another alternative is an early night........

[dsr-burnley]

5 minutes ago, Free Falling Foxes said:

Any outages will published beforehand. Those of us old enough to recall the 3 day week, will remember we knew what time the power was going off and back on.

Just make sure you have shower or whatever outside of those times and cook when appropriate.

For everything else, get a couple of wind-up torches and wind-up/battery radio and put a thick cardy on.

Another alternative is an early night........

We didn't always know.  The power cuts were scheduled but extras could happen.  We kept candles in the fireplace as an extra insurance.

[Parafox]

42 minutes ago, dsr-burnley said:

We kept candles in the fireplace as an extra insurance.

Did they keep you warm?

 

And were there more than 4?

[urban.spaceman]

 

[FoyleFox]

On 21/10/2022 at 18:00, Free Falling Foxes said:

Any outages will published beforehand. Those of us old enough to recall the 3 day week, will remember we knew what time the power was going off and back on.

Just make sure you have shower or whatever outside of those times and cook when appropriate.

For everything else, get a couple of wind-up torches and wind-up/battery radio and put a thick cardy on.

Another alternative is an early night........

Power cuts were a regular occurrence in rural Northern Ireland but we'd a wood burner and an Aga so heat and cooking wasn't an issue. A day or two wasn't unusual in a very bad winter. 

 

I'm sticking to the idea it's not actually going to happen. Crank the heating way up in advance if they do. 

 

Not sure the early night is an option, electric blanket won't be on 

 

 

[dsr-burnley]

2 hours ago, urban.spaceman said:

 

Average spending per child has risen from £6,230 to £6,970 in the past three years after adjusting for inflation.  That's 12% above inflation, and the excess fuel costs for this year will be covered by the close-to-zero fuel costs for the many months they were shut last year and the year before.

 

Why the extra salary costs?  Now the children are all back in class, do they need more staff or fewer?  I hadn't heard they had got inflation-busting pay rises.

 

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-funding-statistics

[ozleicester]

and people ask me why im obsessed with increasing taxes on the upper earners

[kenny]

4 hours ago, dsr-burnley said:

Average spending per child has risen from £6,230 to £6,970 in the past three years after adjusting for inflation.  That's 12% above inflation, and the excess fuel costs for this year will be covered by the close-to-zero fuel costs for the many months they were shut last year and the year before.

 

Why the extra salary costs?  Now the children are all back in class, do they need more staff or fewer?  I hadn't heard they had got inflation-busting pay rises.

 

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-funding-statistics

The teachers are currently deciding whether to strike over the pay offer too.

 

Very odd all round.

 

[rachhere]

5 hours ago, dsr-burnley said:

Average spending per child has risen from £6,230 to £6,970 in the past three years after adjusting for inflation.  That's 12% above inflation, and the excess fuel costs for this year will be covered by the close-to-zero fuel costs for the many months they were shut last year and the year before.

 

Why the extra salary costs?  Now the children are all back in class, do they need more staff or fewer?  I hadn't heard they had got inflation-busting pay rises.

 

https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-funding-statistics

I am sure someone working in a school will be able to come along and give a better explanation, but from the top of my head:

- schools were never closed during Covid as they supported kids from key worker families 

- schools are having to pick up the bill for increased wages, and aren’t receiving anything extra for this

- whilst no doubt schools will benefit from fuel measures brought it, just like every household, business or community service they are feeling it

- more and more responsibility is being placed on schools, such as providing mental health support, more in house careers support, and making up for shortfalls in funding for kids with SEND

- more and more teachers going off with stress, meaning they are having to pay for supply cover

 

 

[Daggers]

Comparing a total amount spend is spurious nonsense.

 

Per capita child spend, just to keep in line with inflation, should have gone from £5180 (2010) to £7382.37 (2022). Therefore £6970 represents a real-world cut of 6.6%.

 

 

[yorkie1999]

How can a school run out of money?

[Daggers]

23 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

How can a school run out of money?

You think they’d just get the kids to draw more money during art, eh. Or maybe they could manufacture coins in D&T. And there’s a veritable goldmine in extracting organs during Biology which the business studies kids could then sell on social media. 

[Tim'llFixIt]

Absolutely clueless if any one here thinks schools can be squeezed any more than they are currently, just pure ignorance.

 

Money saved during lockdown in bills, give me fvcking strength, I'm sure your happy to cover the cost of your own energy bills with the money you saved during lockdown not traveling or eating out ....

Edited 23 October 2022 by Tim'llFixIt

[yorkie1999]

8 minutes ago, Daggers said:

You think they’d just get the kids to draw more money during art, eh. Or maybe they could manufacture coins in D&T. And there’s a veritable goldmine in extracting organs during Biology which the business studies kids could then sell on social media. 

or turn the heating down.

[Milo]

How are schools funded? 
 

Is it centrally, or via local authority? 
 

If it’s via local authority then surely it depends on how good they are at managing money. 
 

My local authority is bankrupt. 

[rachhere]

2 minutes ago, Milo said:

How are schools funded? 
 

Is it centrally, or via local authority? 
 

If it’s via local authority then surely it depends on how good they are at managing money. 
 

My local authority is bankrupt. 

They are funded centrally, although there are educational services which are funded by and delivered by local authorities (education psychologists, SEND support etc). There was a new formula introduced for calculating how much each school should receive which I recall was viewed as controversial at the time. 

[yorkie1999]

4 minutes ago, Milo said:

How are schools funded? 
 

Is it centrally, or via local authority? 
 

If it’s via local authority then surely it depends on how good they are at managing money. 
 

My local authority is bankrupt. 

Not surprised, had a mate who worked for the council, 4hrs and that’s it, pub time, and if your boss don’t like it, it’s his fault for letting it happen, so your boss, and his boss etc get sacked, consequently everyone keeps their mouths shut and waits for their pension. 20 grand for a lawnmower, no probs heres 30. So much waste and unaccountability it’s unreal.

[kenny]

6 minutes ago, Milo said:

How are schools funded? 
 

Is it centrally, or via local authority? 
 

If it’s via local authority then surely it depends on how good they are at managing money. 
 

My local authority is bankrupt. 

They are also mostly academies that manage their own budgets. Many of which are excellent and improve the schools they run.

 

There are many that are truly dreadful. There is a school in Leicestershire I'm working on that has been dreadfully managed and has been wasting it's cash through pisspoor management over the past 5-10 years. The new academy taking over has had to get a cash injection of many millions in order to make the school even remotely viable.

[rachhere]

3 minutes ago, yorkie1999 said:

Not surprised, had a mate who worked for the council, 4hrs and that’s it, pub time, and if your boss don’t like it, it’s his fault for letting it happen, so your boss, and his boss etc get sacked, consequently everyone keeps their mouths shut and waits for their pension. 20 grand for a lawnmower, no probs heres 30. So much waste and unaccountability it’s unreal.

For balance, I know many people working in educational services based in local authorities who are at absolute breaking point and work incredibly hard long hours. 

[Milo]

1 minute ago, kenny said:

They are also mostly academies that manage their own budgets. Many of which are excellent and improve the schools they run.

 

There are many that are truly dreadful. There is a school in Leicestershire I'm working on that has been dreadfully managed and has been wasting it's cash through pisspoor management over the past 5-10 years. The new academy taking over has had to get a cash injection of many millions in order to make the school even remotely viable.

Interesting - so they get given a main budget from central government, and additional money from local authorities? 
 

And are told to manage it. 
 

Is that a factor for the recent concerns in schools going broke? 
 

Not so much a lack of funding, more a lack of poor financial management from the individual schools? Of a combination of both?

 

Or is that a bit too simplistic. 

[kenny]

8 minutes ago, Milo said:

Interesting - so they get given a main budget from central government, and additional money from local authorities? 
 

And are told to manage it. 
 

Is that a factor for the recent concerns in schools going broke? 
 

Not so much a lack of funding, more a lack of poor financial management from the individual schools? Of a combination of both?

 

Or is that a bit too simplistic. 

Probably both. I doubt salaries have gone up much yet as the teachers haven't reached an agreement.

 

Everything else has gone up though and they will be effected like any other organisation.

 

The issue is, academies are supposed to run like businesses but are often managed by teachers who have next to no experience of managing a business of that scale. As such, the smaller academies are being hoovered up by the larger ones that have a lot more acumen behind the budgeting.