EVERY school in Carmarthenshire will be forced to make massive budget cuts if local government funding is again slashed by Chancellor George Osborne, as is being predicted.

The Guardian understands that Carmarthenshire county councillors have been warned the previously “ring-fenced” education budget will be forced to face cuts of up to £18million.

The forecasts, which are being made ahead of the local government settlement due to be announced on December 9, predict a cut of around 3.3 per cent in the council’s budget for each of the three years.

In previous years, the authority had been obliged to fund education at one per cent above the level of funding received from the UK government via the Welsh Assembly.

However, that ring-fencing will end at the end of this financial year.

In a report to the council’s executive board last week, officers warned that “schools will need to absorb reductions in line with other service areas”.

The predictions have been met with dismay by councillors, with former council leader Kevin Madge predicting parent protests as school services are slashed.

“If these cuts go ahead as expected there will be a massive impact on every school in the county,” said Cllr Madge.

“The cuts that have been imposed on the council up to this point have been very difficult to stomach, but this is going to cause even deeper problems.

“Up to this point education has been ring-fenced, but as that no longer applies it means there is going to be a huge cut in the education budget every year for the next three years.

“That will mean there will have to be cuts in every school and classroom in Carmarthenshire.

“Parents need to understand there are likely to be massive cutbacks in their children’s education and every school is going to feel it.

“Obviously, you cannot take money from children so savings will have to come from cutting back on staff in the classroom.

“Massive decisions are going to have to be made.

“I am extremely frightened by the numbers being discussed and the impact this is going to have on our children’s future.

“I think we may well see a time when we have parents protesting and demonstrating at the school gates.”

The council has this week begun a round of public consultation meetings seeking suggestions on potential budget savings, with officers appearing at Ammanford Market on December 4 from 11am until 1pm and then at the town’s Tesco store from 4pm until 6pm.