Gordon Brown today defended the way Shropshire schools are funded as he made his first visit to the county as Prime Minister.
Mr Brown exclusively told the Shropshire Star that the Government takes “very seriously” its responsibilities in trying to keep open village schools.
He was in Telford today for a national conference on sports colleges with Dame Kelly Holmes. Check out our photo gallery above.
Campaigners fighting to safeguard county schools had attempted to ambush him as he arrived to press him for extra cash, but he was quickly swept into the town’s International Centre.
Carla Lowndes, for Buildwas School which had been earmarked for closure, said: “We want to show we are still on the case and that we want extra money for Shropshire schools.”
Ahead of today’s visit, Mr Brown said: “I want to re-iterate my support and the Government’s support for rural schools. Local authorities must take very seriously the presumption that rural schools will not close.
“And we take very seriously our responsibility towards rural schools.”
He said Schools Minister Jim Knight had explained the Government’s position in heralding changes to the funding formula that currently sees Shropshire close to the bottom of the schools cash league.
But Mr Brown went on to defend the way Shropshire schools have been funded by the Labour Government.
He said the county’s dedicated schools grant would rise by 13 per cent per pupil over the next three years, resulting in an increase of £462 per pupil to £4,013 by 2010. In addition £300,000 would be targeted at pupils in pockets of deprivation.
Mr Brown said the Government was expanding resources for education in Shropshire and added there had been a 38 per cent increase in revenue funding in real terms since Labour came to power in 1997.
“Our critics are not able to offer these increases,” he said. “There has been no change of policy towards rural schools, and indeed we have strengthened the law to prevent closures.”
Meanwhile, he says he wants to put the competition and fun back into sport in Britain and he’s calling on football stars and sporting heroes to help him do it.
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5 Comments
If, as Mr Brown claims, that “There has been no change of policy towards rural schools, and indeed, we have strengthened the law to prevent closures” then why did Shirehall chose to ignore such clear guidance when announcing its consideration of consulting on closing 22 of our rural schools? This has caused untold anxiety amongst staff, pupils, their communities and, no doubt, has cost a considerable amount of money in Council resources. I hope this whole experience proves sufficient warning to the Council of the strength of feeling about this - well done to the schools who displayed a united voice on this!
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gordon next time you visit shropshire, possibly in 2015 bring some cash with you for our unitary authority’s education committee
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Did he have to go home early in case it snows?
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Until the policy that is driving the school closures and mergers is shredded all small schools remain under threat. It is not just 22 schools, there are an additional 16 schools that are now going to be merged even if they do not want it, such as Lydbury North. All schools now need to come to the support of those now being closed by these mergers. This is not a pure funding issue and has not been from the outset. What is Shropshire County Councils vision for Primary Schools? Who is driving this axe that will fall heavily on close communities? Take a primary school out and it makes a village unsustainable. Is that the vision of SCC!
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To answer Comment 1 - It was because Shropshire County Council is a Conservative council, and is doing it’s best to damage the government for it’s own political reasons. Councillors are not interested in the anxiety you mentioned, they only have self interest in mind - and I mean councillors of all colours.
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