Welsh schools ‘could save money on office supplies’

Schools in Wales could save tens of millions of pounds each year by securing better deals on office supplies and office equipment, it has been suggested.

Making bulk purchases of office supplies as part of a larger public sector consortium could help cut procurement bills by as much as ten per cent, the Assembly has claimed.

With all 1,800 schools in Wales achieving the same ten per cent reduction on office equipment and supplies, a total savings of up to £20 million could be seen on an annual basis, the Western Mail reports.

It has also been estimated that around 1,000 extra teachers could be hired with the money saved.

Head of Llantwit Major school Vince Brown believes he could save up to 20 per cent by purchasing lower-priced office supplies such as whiteboards and exercise books, according to the publication.

Meanwhile, finance minister Andrew Davies said: "Some 290 schools in Wales are using collaborative agreements to buy stationery and over 50 schools are getting a better deal on computers and printers.

"But there is much more we can do to become more efficient to improve education services further."

In related news, a recent survey by Toshiba found that UK workers generally do not adequately organise their office supplies.

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