ONE THIRD OF SCHOOLS IN LEEDS TO SEE REAL TERM FUNDING CUTS

9.08.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 5th Jun 2008

New figures revealed by the Liberal Democrats have revealed that a third of schools in Leeds will experience a real-terms cut in their funding next year.

The Government has said that increased running costs to schools will amount to 3.1% over the next year, however a Freedom of Information enquiry has found that 34% of schools in Leeds will receive less than a 3.1% per pupil funding increase, amounting to 90 schools across the city.

Across Yorkshire, 45% of schools in York and 41% of schools in North Yorkshire, will also experience real term funding cuts.

Commenting Greg Mulholland, MP for Leeds North West, said:

"This is another example of this Government critically letting down schools in Leeds, and across Yorkshire.

"These real term funding cuts will spark real fears that teachers redundancies will follow as schools struggle to manage their stretched budgets, and that class sizes may rise as a result.

"We should be putting more funding into our education not less, how can we give our children the education they deserve when schools are struggling to make ends meet?"

ENDS