MP's challenge over schools' funding

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WARRINGTON South MP David Mowat has challenged education ministers over the low levels of funding for the borough’s schools.
The town currently lies 137th out of 152 local education authorities – yet received no additional money from the government’s recent uplift.
Mr Mowat (pictured) took to the floor of the House of Commons to quiz education minister David Laws.
He said: “It’s quite unacceptable that Westminster, ranked 10th best-funded authority in the country, is to be given more money whilst Warrington gets nothing.
“Teachers and pupils in Warrington are working hard and achieving great results, but those results could be even better if the schools weren’t constantly scrapping around for funds.
“That’s why I’ve been campaigning for a national funding formula to address these disparities and allocate funds according to the needs of the pupils.”
Mr Laws said it was possible for some parts of the country which were not the lowest funded to be underfunding.
He said: “As for comparing Westminster with Warrington, although traditionally thought of as an affluent area, Westminster has had something like 50 per cent of its children entitled to free school meals over the last six years, so it benefits, quite rightly, from high levels of disadvantage funding.”
However, he agreed with Mr Mowat that his points made a case for moving on from this allocation to a full national fair funding formula in the next Parliament, to which both the Coalition parties were committed.


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Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.

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