Children in Gloucester will benefit from schools plan

2.19.00pm GMT Thu 5th Feb 2009

PROPOSALS from the Liberal Democrats for big improvements to schools and teaching will see around £19 million of extra cash for schools in the county to boost the education and life chances of thousands of children says Jeremy Hilton.

Party Leader Nick Clegg and Shadow Secretary of State for Schools, David Laws MP, launched their radical plans today. They called for raising standards in all local schools; closing the gap between children from rich and poor families and ending the era of Government meddling in education.

Speaking about the proposals to the executive committee of Liberal Democrats in Gloucester, Jeremy Hilton Gloucester's next MP said:

"There are a number of radical ideas to ensure all young people get the best start in life. The extra cash will make a real difference in our local schools.

"I am particularly pleased that funding is proposed to cut infant class sizes to private school levels of 15. This will provide for a great start to the education of young children in Gloucester, especially those from less well off communities.

"We will also introduce a £2.5bn Pupil Premium, to ensure that extra funding goes to the pupils with the highest needs, whichever school they are in. Some of that extra money will pay for after school and Saturday classes, and extended school days.

"We will also get central government off the back of schools, teachers and pupils. The days of ministers in Whitehall stifling schools and interfering with everything that happens in the classroom must end.

"Schools here in Gloucester need to be freed to teach children rather than spend their time obeying ministerial orders and trying to achieve government targets.

"The schools proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrats will go a long way to ensuring that the many thousands of local children who go to local schools have at least as good a start in life as the small number who are educated privately."

The proposals will be debated at the party's spring conference in Harrogate in March.

Ends...