Lessons at Powys secondary schools could be left unstaffed due to budget cuts according to headteachers.

An open letter from the headteachers of the county’s 13 secondary schools also claims standards will plummet as class sizes rise. They say schools have been left in an “impossible” position and are faced with making staff redundant.

The letter has been sent to the Welsh Assembly Government (WAG) and Powys County Council, the local education authority.

The council has already said more than 30 teaching jobs will be axed because of an £800,000 cut in funding for sixth forms.

It had been expecting to receive about £8.4 million from WAG to fund mainstream post-16 education, but has only been given about £7.6 million.

The letter says: “Many schools will be unable to deliver their curriculum from September 2009 if they have to make further redundancies, thus effecting the entitlement Powys young people deserve.

“Class sizes continuing to increase will impact adversely on pupil learning standards and some schools could be left without even a sufficient number of teachers to take the lessons.”

The headteachers also fear parents in some areas will end up sending their children to schools outside Powys and many schools will be unable to maintain their buildings.

Powys will get a 1.5 per cent increase in its settlement from WAG, below the current inflation rate of three per cent and the Welsh average of 2.9 per cent.

Councillor David Jones, council portfolio holder for schools, said: “We cannot understand why the funding for schools and colleges has decreased in cash terms by £2.8 million, while the available budget within WAG has increased by £23.4 million.

“If this available funding had been allocated to schools and colleges, Powys secondary schools could have expected an extra £500,000.”

He said a meeting with Assembly officials will be held next week.

Joanna Broaders, Assembly spokeswoman, said: “We have a level playing field for funding further education institutes and sixth forms in Wales with full harmonisation across the sector – everyone gets funded fairly.”

By Anwen Evans