Tory Hypocrisy on Education in Leicestershire

Do you keep hearing from the Tories about Leicestershire being the lowest funded authority in the country? Get the impression that they would get rid of the formula they introduced in government. Yes - well think again. Just look at their OWN POLICY DOCUMENT on education. They propose to keep exactly the same sort of formula - but make it worse by their cuts to education and their disasterous Voucher system of education - taking millions out of the Leicestershire Budget. No wonder they keep quiet about their Policies!!

Tory Cuts to Education Funding - as part of £35bn Cuts.

The Tories are going into the election promising to cut £35bn of public spending. That means £50m from the Loughborough constituency alone. For education it means a £1bn cut. Even though they say they will match Labour's spending on schools they won't guaruntee it on anything else like - nursery and childcare or even Sure Start!

Tory Proposals to Keep the Funding Formula!

They moan about the funding formula - but in secret they propose to keep it.

These quotes are from their own Policy Documents on Education.

19. Does that mean all pupils will be entitled
to the same cash sum wherever they live in
the country?

No. The figure is an average. Just as today, pupils in higher
cost areas will have a higher entitlement than the average.
And pupils with greater needs (such as statemented pupils)
will receive a higher amount in their entitlement.
The key point is that the policy entitles a pupil to what it costs
the State to educate him.

24. Does your policy imply a shift to a national
funding formula which would leave schools
or pupils in deprived areas worse off?

No. Under the Right to Choose funding will consist of three
elements – national per capita funding (as in the present
formula), a local element depending on the location of the
school (to address the greater needs of those in areas of
deprivation), and an element relevant to the pupil (e.g. Special
Educational Needs). Schools in areas of deprivation and/or
taking pupils from such places will get more funding per pupil
than those which fall into neither category.

Tories will Cut Sure Start

The Tories do not really support Sure Start. They will not fund it if they ever got into government. What hypocricy then that they hail the opening of the government funded Sure Start centres in Loughborough. Funny how the Tories want to be associated with a successful Labour government initiative and secretly plan to cut it!