Labour-Plaid increase the school spending gap to £604 per pupil

Responding to the news that the Labour-Plaid government has allowed the spending gap per pupil to rise to a record level of £604 per pupil, Jenny Randerson AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Minister said: “This is yet more evidence that the Labour-Plaid government is failing our children.

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned for years that the spending gap of £500 per pupil between England and Wales would have disastrous consequences. The impact of having Plaid Cymru in the government with Labour is that the spending gap has grown to over £600.

“Sadly, Welsh children are now paying the price for this gross underfunding of schools over the last decade – even in the good times.

“In the summer, our GCSE and A level results slipped behind England for the first time in history. In December, a respected international comparison showed that Wales lags behind England, Scotland and Northern Ireland and yesterday the Chief Inspector of Schools issued her most damning report ever on the state of Welsh schools.

“Yesterday, the Chief Inspector asked the Government to “face facts”. Now more than ever, it is time for the Labour-Plaid Welsh Government to step up to the plate. It is not too late for the Labour–Plaid government to support Welsh Liberal Democrat proposals for a Pupil Premium that would target additional funding for education at the most disadvantaged pupils in Wales from nursery to age 16.

“Given these figures, it beggars belief that the Conservatives are proposing to take a further £126 million out of the education system. Only the Welsh Liberal Democrats can give Wales the education system out children deserve.”