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Burstow challenges Minister on sixth form funding fiasco
April 6, 2009 10:32 AM
Sutton and Cheam MP, Paul Burstow, has challenged Harriet Harman MP, Leader of the Commons, over a major funding error that could cost high schools in Sutton over £900,000 in lost income. The Learning and Skills Council who are responsible for allocating funds to schools for sixth form education has said that it made a mistake in its calculations. In Sutton the mistake could see a 5% budget cut forcing schools to axe staff or turn children away.
At the beginning of March the Council was told to expect £19,161,103 for the year 2009/10. Yet on the 1st April were told by the Learning and Skills Council that funding would be cut by almost a million pounds. This is despite the Government's commitment to three year budgets that were intended to avoid such uncertainty.
Last Thursday in the House of Commons Mr Burstow asked Harriet Harman MP, the leader of the House of Commons, for a statement or debate on the issue which could lead to a reversal of the decision. In her reply she acknowledged that there had been mismanagement of the budgets.
Commenting Paul Burstow MP said:
'This was no April fool; for local sixth forms this is certainly no joke. Having championed three-year budgets to help schools manage their money better, this reversal is more than mere 'mismanagement', as Mrs Harman terms it.
'Sixth forms in Sutton will be forced to cut staff or turn away students. At this time of recession and when Labour Ministers say they want more young people to stay on in education there is a real risk that those young people turned away from sixth forms will face the prospect of the dole queue.
"Ministers must explain why yet another fiasco involving the Learning and Skills Council has been allowed to happen and how they expect sixth forms to cope with this funding cut."
ENDS
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