THE NUT has warned teachers' jobs are at risk if education cuts are made as a council tries to balance its books.

Last December the Argus revealed how Torfaen council was looking at axing 2million from its schools budget.

Now the Torfaen NUT secretary says cash-strapped schools in the borough face the prospect of redundancies, as well as an ongoing maintenance backlog, and equipment and books shortfall, if the LEA does not get enough cash.

Brian Hughes, who is also a teacher at Croesyceiliog Comprehensive School, said he feared money would be spent on social services rather than education.

He said: "We know that Torfaen has faced enormous problems in social services.

"We also know that in an area of deprivation the social services are very important.

"However, so is education. It is short-sighted, to say the least, to penalise education in order to provide improved funding for social services."

Council chiefs met this week to start outlining spending objectives for 2005/6.

At the moment, council tax payers face a possible 9.9 per cent rise, which the council is hoping to slash to 5.9 per cent. All departments are being asked to make significant savings.

The education department currently has a 30 million repairs backlog, while figures published by the Assembly, outlining last year's Standing Spending Assessments for each authority, appear to show the council under-spent on education compared to other LEAs.

He added: "The message this sends out to schools and young people is that education is not the priority it should be."