Lib Dems will invest £42million to protect school funding in Cumbria

Lib Dem leader Tim Farron has today announced the party's plans to invest over £42million more in schools and colleges in Cumbria over the next parliament. Under Conservative plans, 746 teachers would be cut from Cumbrian schools.

The funding for Cumbria would reverse cuts to frontline school and college budgets, protect per pupil funding in real terms and ensure no school loses out from changes to funding arrangements. £2.7million of the funding would be spent on protecting the Pupil Premium, introduced by the Liberal Democrats to help the most disadvantaged children.

Under Conservative plans, schools in Cumbria face £28million of cuts by 2020, which would see 746 teachers cut from schools in Cumbria. In South Lakeland, almost every single school faces damaging cuts to teaching staff and budgets.

Tim said: "As a dad with kids at a local school, I care deeply about making sure we have a properly funded education system that will give everyone a fair chance in life.

"Conservative plans for tens of millions of cuts for Cumbria's schools will be devastating for our schools, with per pupil funding facing the biggest cuts in a generation. It will mean 746 fewer teachers across Cumbria. Our children will be left in overcrowded classes taught by overworked teachers. Yet the Conservatives don't care.

"And the cuts are already biting - almost two thirds of schools will axe one or more teaching posts before September because of budget cuts.

"Our plans for an extra £42million of funding would ensure that no school and no child loses out. We will reverse crippling Conservative cuts to school budgets and invest to ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed."

To see how Conservative cuts would affect your school, click here: www.schoolcuts.org.uk

Photo:
Tim visiting Heron Hill Primary School