Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Bath, and Twerton councillor, Joe Rayment, has hit-out at the government’s education policy, criticising the lack of funding and attention given to comprehensive schools.
Cllr Rayment, who is a governor at Twerton Infants, attacked the Conservative and coalition governments saying: “Schools in the most deprived areas of Bath are having their funding cut the most.
“This simply isn’t fair and it’s happening all across the country.
It has already led to school closures in Bath, it’s making students sit in ever-larger classrooms, and it’s forcing some schools to close their gates early and reduce the number of staff to save costs.
“Not only is this unfair to children and their life-prospects, but a deterioration in education standards will be worse for business than the moderate rise in corporation tax we propose, which would still be the lowest in the G7, and we’ll use that money to fund the transformation of our education system.
“One in five children in Bath are living in poverty, by providing free school meals we can ensure that they can focus on studying rather than sitting in class struggling through the pain of hunger.
“Labour will transform education in this country to ensure that no one is held back, enabling access to education and free skills-training for people of all ages so that anyone who wants to can change their lives for the better.
“Ben Howlett and the Conservatives are planning further school funding cuts and new grammar schools to segregate children at age 11.
“Only a vote for Labour will help deliver our plan for an education system run for the many and not the few.”
This comes as Labour outlined their plan to invest in a new National Education Service, to increase school funding by £5.6 billion, and to introduce free, lifelong education in colleges in England.
Labour’s key education pledges at this election are:
- Stop the cuts to school budgets, with a real terms increase in funding
- Reduce class sizes to under 30 for all five, six and seven year olds
- Free school meals for all primary school children
- Restore education maintenance allowance for college students
- Restore grants for university students
- Scrap fees on courses for adult learners looking to re-train or upskill
Bath Community Academy will be closing its doors next summer as it was considered “not sustainable or viable.”
Labour have also previously announced that they intend to provide free school meals for all primary school children, to reintroduce grants for students, and to restore the educational maintenance allowance for 16-18 year olds which was scrapped in 2011 under the coalition government.
The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming by-election is May 22nd. To register, visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.