1:30am Friday 19th March 2010
By David Paine
CAMPAIGNERS calling for more money to be given to schools in Worcestershire have welcomed the start of a consultation.
After mounting pressure over recent weeks and months, the Government has finally launched a consultation into how schools in England are allocated funds.
Fairer funding group f40 and Worcestershire County Council, which is the local education authority, have welcomed the move.
We previously reported in your Worcester News how the 2009/10 Dedicated Schools Grant allocated Worcestershire the equivalent of £3,865 per pupil, placing the county 142nd out of the 151 local authorities in the country.
The national average for each pupil was £4,218 – £353 more than in Worcestershire.
Councillor Liz Eyre, cabinet member for children and young people (12-19 years), said: "I am so pleased this issue has gone to consultation and hopefully our school children will be given the fair funding for their education that they deserve.
“The authority will soon make a considered response to the consultation. The proposals in this consultation are so important to this authority, we must address the current injustices."
The consultation, which will seek the views of stakeholders on the key components of the new funding formula, will run until Monday, June 7.
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