Lib Dems urge Wokingham Tories to use extra Government Money for Education (Wokingham Liberal Democrats)

Wokingham Liberal Democrats <info@wokinghamlibdems.org.uk>

Lib Dems urge Wokingham Tories to use extra Government Money for Education

January 14, 2004 12:00 AM

Wokingham Liberal Democrats say that the District's schools should be given extra money from the additional Government grant that Wokingham District Council will receive this year.

Councillor Coling Lawley (Leader of the Lib Dem Councillor Group) said, "Our schools were short-changed by £2.1 million last year, and they are struggling to make ends meet. This year, Wokingham District Council will receive an extra £6.5 million from the Government. We urge the Conservatives to make sure that our schools are properly funded this year so they can concentrate on teaching instead of worrying about money."

Councillor Beth Rowland (Lib Dem Councillor for South Lake ward and Chairman of the Education Select Committee) said, "Many schools have told us of their fears for the coming year. They say that the money they expect to receive from Wokingham District Council is not enough. The Education Select Committee has been investigating education finance and will be reporting its findings to the Overview & Scrutiny Committee this evening.

"I will be recommending that the schools

be given enough money to fully fund the staff they need,
be able to fully support the curriculum and be able to purchase all that is necessary to do this,
be able to reinstate the cuts in training in order to maintain and improve the standards that have been achieved in national testing in past years,
to be able to replace the "capital" monies used to support the schools budget during the funding crisis in 2003/04, and
be funded in order that all essential health and safety work already identified be completed in 2004/05.

I hope we can then persuade the Conservative Executive to make education their priority when they set the budget for 2004/05."

Coling Lawley added, "We know that the Conservatives will be tempted to bring in a Council Tax at inflation level or below, especially as the whole Council is up for election this year. We can expect any increase to be small or non-existent because of the huge increase in Government grant, but this must not be at the expense of our children's education."