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More cash for pupils, please
SCHOOL children are being “short-changed by an outdated funding formula” says Central Beds Council.
Funding for children in the area is among the lowest in the country at £4,658 per pupil, which is £500 less than the national average.
Leader of the council James Jamieson has written to the Secretary of State for Education Michael Gove asking him not to forget children in Central Beds when the government creates its new funding formula, which is due to take effect in May next year,
The issue was discussed at a full council meeting last week after executive member for children’s services Mark Versallion spent the last six months gathering research on the amount of funding youngsters in Central Beds get.
He said: “The average funding per pupil in Central Bedfordshire is among the lowest in the country and is the lowest in the area.
“Our school children are being short-changed by what is quite frankly an unfair and outdated funding formula.”
The government is currently looking at changing its formula and the authority is lobbying them to not make the same mistake again when creating the new formula.
Mr Versallion added: “This funding formula is six years old. It needs to change, not only because it’s unfair and unjust, but because it holds back the potential of Central Bedfordshire – namely our children.”
The authority that gets the highest funding is Tower Hamlets Council in London, which receives £8,000 per pupil.
Children in Central Beds get the lowest funding out of authorities in Bedford, Luton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and Hertfordshire.
And just across the county in Bedford Borough, funding per pupil is £4,909.
Mr Versallion said: “Although I am not saying we have half the problems that Tower Hamlets may have, it is still a massive difference. Not everywhere in Central Beds is leafy in affluent, we have our run-down areas as well and we need the funding to reflect that.
“I think the fact that we have still had very good exam results, despite the low amount of funding we have is something I am really proud of, but it doesn’t mean that we should just accept it.”
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Monday 28 May 2012
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