Primary School Crisis Child Education

 Primary School Crisis Child Education

This is a long-term problem that needs long-term solutions, and with local authority budgets falling all around the country, the next government must have the vision to give councils the power and the funding to invest, innovate and educate child future generations.

This tipping point is the biggest challenge the next child education secretary will face and councils need a firm commitment that politicians will do everything necessary to ensure no child goes without a place.

“Councils and schools have been doing everything they can to provide school places, in some cases going to extraordinary lengths by expanding schools where possible through additional classes or new buildings.

“However, if councils are not given powers to open new schools we could see extreme measures taken, such as converting music rooms into classrooms and putting portable buildings on their playgrounds, which will compromise the quality of education children receive.”

According to the Department for child Education, since 2010 the coalition government has invested more than £5bn to create 445,000 new school places across the country, with £2.05bn more already allocated for 2015 to 2017.

But the shadow education secretary, Tristram Hunt, said the Tories’ free schools policy had diverted money away from areas in need of extra primary places. “David Cameron’s crisis in school places is yet more evidence that the Tory plan is failing children edu and working families,” he said.