Schools could be forced to lay off teachers as energy bills continue to rise around the country, a principal has warned.
The sector is experiencing one of the worst crises it has ever faced and, despite classroom vacancies, schools may be forced to make "difficult decisions", the chairman of the Kent Headteachers Association said.
Mike Walters, who is also headteacher of St Anselm's Canterbury, said that due to a £100,000 leap in energy bills, some schools will run with vacancies rather than employ more staff.
There is even a risk of redundancies due to the ongoing increase in energy prices because measures such as turning the heating and lighting off will not curb the rocketing bills.
And as we head towards winter, teachers have said they "cannot allow students to freeze".
Mr Walters said: "Frankly, I think schools are going to have to probably make more difficult decisions than that.
"One would like to think we're not going to get to the point where schools are going to have to restructure and make people redundant.
"No head teacher or governing body ever wants to do that.
"But certainly at the moment, I think some schools are going to run with vacancies rather than replace staff who have left and that more radical action might be needed."
He added: "Given the sort of [energy bill] increase we're looking at - between 100% and 150% - for a medium-sized school of about 1,000 pupils, that is probably going to be an increase in the region of £100,000, a very substantial development."
The headteacher fears pupils may not get the support they need in classrooms due to the ongoing crisis.
He explained: "If a teaching assistant leaves and is not replaced then that's going to have an impact.
"So yes, I think we will see a compromise that isn't going to be helpful."
Last week, Steve Chalke, the boss of the Oasis Academies chain running a Kent secondary school, said: "Whatever happens, we have got to keep the heating on in schools. We can't allow students to freeze.
"We may be able to turn it down by a degree or two and ask everybody to wear jumpers."
Yesterday, we revealed that almost three in five teachers are giving hard-up pupils food and clothes as the cost of living crisis hits vulnerable kids.
A poll carried out by a teaching union shows kind-hearted teachers stepping in to shoulder the burden.
Stats from the NASUWT revealed 58% have donated food and clothing and 15% had lent cash to kids who were struggling for something to eat.
Union general secretary Patrick Roach said: “This is a deeply disturbing picture of the damaging impact of the cost of living crisis on children and young people the length and breadth of the country.
“It is outrageous that we should be seeing more and more families struggling or unable to feed, clothe or keep a roof over their children’s heads.”
