Welsh Lib Dems highlight policies to close schools funding gap

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have today highlighted the policies that they believe will be necessary to address and turn around Wales’ underperformance in schooling.

Successive reports from Estyn and PISA have been highly critical of educational standards in Wales and GCSE and A level results in Wales have fallen behind England for the first time.

Under Labour and Plaid Cymru, Wales spends £604 less per pupil on education than in England.

Welsh Liberal Democrats are promoting carefully costed plans to attack the spending gap, providing more money for schools by targeting additional money at pupils who need it the most so that schools can afford to invest in the things that really matter, such as smaller class sizes or one-on-one teaching.

In addition, Welsh Liberal Democrats will invest properly to offer new training and development opportunities to teachers, driving up standards and demanding the best of our teachers so we deliver for our children.

Highlighting the Welsh Liberal Democrat proposals on a visit to Cafe Junior, Cardiff, a child-friendly play cafe, Nigel Howells, Welsh Liberal Democrat candidate in Cardiff Central said:

"Welsh schools were once the envy of the UK. Now, sadly, international comparisons shows that that Wales' results in reading and maths have fallen significantly behind and that Welsh students are falling behind their counterparts in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

"Labour and Plaid have failed our children who are now paying the price for the gross underfunding of schools over the last decade.

"Education is the key investment we can make for all our children. It is the route out of poverty, the key to ensuring that everyone can reach their full potential. Ultimately, it’s the way to make our economy strong and our country fairer."

"Our schools will only improve when we give teachers the tools and training they need to inspire our children. Pupils in Wales get £604 less spent on their education than in England. Welsh Liberal Democrats will give education the priority it deserves."