The Minister for Education, The Rt. Hon. Nick Gibb, has confirmed that schools in Erewash will receive a five percent increase in funding under the new National Funding Formula and has praised local MP Maggie Throup for bring a “dose of reality” to a recent Commons debate on the issue.
In an impassioned speech, Maggie welcomed the new funding before taking Labour to task over their shameful attempt to mislead the public over the facts.
Speaking shortly after the debate Maggie said:
“We would all like more money for our schools and I have worked hard to improve education in Erewash as part of my local plan since my election to Parliament in 2015.
“However education is so much more than a balance sheet.
“Across Erewash we have some outstanding teachers and teaching assistants who go above and beyond to give their students the very best start in life.
“We can see for ourselves the huge Government investment going into school buildings, such as the new multimillion-pound Wilsthorpe Community School which is set to open its doors to students from Long Eaton and the surrounding area in September.
“More broadly, there has always been a charitable element to our education system in the form of organisations such as PTAs, which helps schools pay for the ‘added extras’ and whose efforts should be rightly commended.”
On Labour’s funding figures Maggie added:
“The assertion made by the Labour Party that schools in Erewash are facing funding cuts are fundamentally misleading, and based on historic data rather than the position we now find ourselves in.
“These figures originate from the Union-backed schoolcuts website and have been discredited on numerous occasion over recent months both by Education Ministers and the Press.
“In addition, by weaponizing teachers in opposition to Academisation earlier this year at Friesland School, Labour have demonstrated that they are willing to gamble with the education of our children in return for short term political gain.
“The facts speak for themselves. The Labour Party is unable to present an alternative vision for education in this country and is unable to effectively cost the pledges they do make without burdening our children and our children’s children with huge amounts of debt.”
Official figures published by the Department for Education show that under the Governments new National Funding formula, school funding in Erewash will increase by £2.6 million (five percent).