Liversedge parents share education 'inadequate funding' concerns with Labour candidate

Ms Brabin, who is aiming to win her third election for Labour in the Batley and Spen constituency, was speaking to parents at the gates of Hightown Junior, Infant and Nursery School in Liversedge.

Under a Conservative Government the school has lost £448 of funding per pupil since 2015, and in 2020 will have a shortfall of £91,814 – the difference between funding and the amount needed to protect per pupil funding in real terms.

Tracy Brabin, Labour parliamentary candidate for Batley and Spen, said: “Over the last nine years, Conservative austerity has stripped our schools to the bone with inadequate funding, slashing funding disproportionately in deprived areas."

Ms Brabin and volunteers spoke to parents as they dropped their children off at school about the effect cuts have had on schools, and how a Labour Government would provide real investment for primary schools as part of the National Education Service, which will provide cradle-to-grave free education to all.

A Labour Government would provide 30 hours of free high-quality childcare for all two to four-year-olds, scrap SAT exams for primary school pupils and ensure primary school class sizes are no bigger than 30.

It will provide schools with the funding they need to provide high-quality teaching and stay open five days a week, without having to beg parents for donations to keep the lights on and buy basic supplies.

Every child in primary schools will receive free school meals, encourage breakfast clubs and tackle the cost of school uniforms to ‘poverty-proof’ schools.

“Parents told me about the challenges they face, and were encouraged by the positive message Labour is giving young families, such as free childcare, free school meals, smaller classes and no more stressful SATs, as well as proper investment in our National Education Service." said Ms Brabin.

“One parent I spoke. Hannah, said she wants to go back to university because her father has dementia, and she wants to have the skills to tackle the disease.

“Hannah has two young children, and the National Education Service would enable her to re-train without being saddled with thousands of pounds of debt while raising her young family.

"This is precisely what Labour’s lifelong learning programme is all about.

“We are promising real change, and the only way to get this is to vote Labour on December 12.”