MP pushes Government to start investing in schools after new figures reveal big jump in number of local children choosing to be educated at home

South Lakes MP Tim Farron is urging the Government to stop starving schools of investment, after new figures show that there has been a 93% increase in the last 6 years in the number of children in Cumbria who are being home educated.

According to the County Council, there are now 459 children in Cumbria who are educated at home, compared to just 239 back in 2011.

Tim said: "Parents who choose to educate their children at home are absolutely free to do so, and many do a brilliant job.

"But such a rapid increase in such a short period of time should set alarm bells ringing.

"In Cumbria, we have some of the best schools in the country, but when I speak to local head teachers, they say they are really concerned that the cuts to funding for special needs and the cuts to the number of teaching assistants is resulting in some children really struggling to cope at school.

"The Government needs to stop the cuts and instead start giving our schools proper investment so that our children can be confident that when they go school they will be given all the support they need to be able to perform to the best of their ability."