Education – Saddleworth Liberal Democrats

12Oct 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

It is time to extend free school meals to all primary age children

Oldham’s Liberal Democrat councillors have backed a campaign calling for free school meals to be extended to all primary school children. The National Education Union has said that child hunger is an ‘epidemic’ in schools and has published an open letter to the prime minister which says that currently millions of children miss out on a free school meal, with some as young as seven. Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Oldham councillor Howard Sykes MBE said, “Free school meal provision is one of the most effective policies when it comes to tackling child hunger and poverty as well as raising educational achievement. It’s about a fair start in life and peace of mind for struggling families who know their children will be able to focus in class after a…

11Jul 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Funding for infant free school meals in Oldham slashed by more than £200,000

Borough news

The government has slashed funding for free school meals for 4–7-year-olds in Oldham by £212,797 in real terms, shocking new figures uncovered by the Liberal Democrats have revealed. The party have slammed the government for “short-changing our children.” Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader, councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “Universal Infant Free School Meals were introduced by the Liberal Democrats, to support all pupils in reception, Year 1 and Year 2. However, since the policy was introduced seven years ago, the Conservatives have increased funding per pupil by just 4 pence, from £2.30 to £2.34, or an increase of 1.7%. Had the funding increased with inflation, it would currently stand at least £2.46 per pupil. This amounts to a real-terms cut of £35.8 million this year across the UK, or £22.80 per…

13Jun 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Free School Meals: Government either doesn’t care or doesn’t get it

Parliamentary news

Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP has condemned Minister Victoria Prentis' defence of the Government's decision not to extend Free School Meals. She said: "This is yet another example of the Government ignoring their own advisors and short-changing children, as they continue to lose out. The Government either doesn't care or doesn't get it. “It's common sense to expand free school meals to all children on Universal Credit - we are suffering a cost of living crisis where parents are worried about putting food on the table. “Our children’s health and education should be a top priority, but time and again under this government they are treated as a complete afterthought.”

01Apr 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

SEND Green Paper: A real kick in the teeth for parents

Parliamentary news

Responding to the launch of the Government's Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and Alternative Provision Green Paper, Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey said: "For all the fanfare and promises from Ministers this Green Paper is a real kick in the teeth for parents of children with learning difficulties and disabilities. "The Conservatives have left parents stuck dealing with a broken system and unable to get their children the help they need. "Every child with special needs should be identified at the earliest opportunity and then supported through their entire education."

28Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Schools White Paper: Half-baked proposals miss the mark

Parliamentary news

The Liberal Democrats have slammed the Schools White Paper as “half-baked” as it launches today, saying they have “no ambition or imagination”. The Party has moved to criticise the proposals after they focused on restructures and the National Tutoring Programme rather than diverting more funding towards catch-up for children who have been hit hard by lost learning during the pandemic or helping children to build their skills and experiences. Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP has said the proposals “completely miss the mark” and do not come close to righting the “wrongs” of the Department for Education over the course of the pandemic, such as botched school reopenings and a failure to get laptops to children who needed them. The Liberal Democrats are calling for an extra £10 billion to go…

28Mar 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Zahawi in denial over Covid in schools

Parliamentary news

Responding to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi's comments on Sunday Morning today, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson Munira Wilson MP said: "Zahawi is in denial about the level of Covid infections in schools, and his complacency is adding insult to injury for every child and parent. "This Government has let down and abandoned our children time and time again over the past two years and history looks doomed to repeat itself. It's clear they have no plan for dealing with rising numbers of infections and absences. "Schools deserve a cast-iron guarantee that they will be given the resources they need to ensure no child will miss out on learning. Government incompetence cannot be allowed to disrupt their education further than it already has."

07Feb 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Over 90,000 children could miss out on top grades under government’s exam plans for 2022

Parliamentary news

90,644 children could lose out on the top grades for GCSEs and A Levels this year due to Government plans on exam grading, new analysis by the Liberal Democrats has revealed. It comes as Ofqual is set to confirm arrangements today (Monday 7 February) for this summer’s GCSEs and A levels, along with details on what mitigations will be in place. The Chief Regulator of Ofqual, Dr Jo Saxton, plans to set the grading boundaries in a way that “reflects a mid-point between 2021 and pre-pandemic grading”. Analysis by the Liberal Democrats suggests this would mean 24,524 GCSE pupils missing out on grade 7,8 or 9, and 66,120 A-level students missing out on As or A*s compared to the grading system used last year. The Lib Dems have called the…

25Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

A new low for the worst Education Secretary in history

Parliamentary news

Responding to allegations from Christian Wakeford against Gavin Williamson that he threatened to cancel a new school in his constituency if he voted against the Government on free school meals, Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson commented: “This is a new low for the worst Education Secretary in memory. “First he betrayed our children's chances to catch up, then he refused to see them fed, now he's exposed for threats and cancelling new schools. ”He is the last person in the country to deserve this rumoured knighthood.”

18Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Pupil Premium “Left to Rot” with Disadvantaged Children £160 worse off

Parliamentary news

Responding to a report by the National Foundation for Educational Research which shows that the most disadvantaged children are £160 worse off than in 2015, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, Munira Wilson MP, said: “We know the attainment gap is widening because of the pandemic and it is shameful that the Tories have not increased the Pupil Premium in line with inflation. “The Conservatives have decided to prioritise penny-pinching over the most disadvantaged children in our society. “The Government has left the Liberal Democrats’ Pupil Premium to rot, affecting the children hardest hit by lost learning. They must guarantee ring-fenced funding to increase the pupil premium in line with inflation."

14Jan 2022 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Government fails to recruit ex-teachers after spending under £4,000 on the campaign

Parliamentary news

A Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Question has today revealed that the Department for Education spent just £3882 on the campaign to bring retired and ex-teachers back to the profession to fill Covid-related absences. It comes as just 485 ex-teachers have been recruited by the Education Secretary's failed recruitment drive, while official data from the Department for Education yesterday reported 44,000 teachers and school leaders have been absent from schools across the country. In a Government press release, Nadhim Zahawi claimed the campaign was part of [doing] “everything in my power to protect education”, yet spent less than two months average salary for a teacher on the entire campaign. Teacher absences across the country are now reaching crisis point with Zahawi planning for shortages of 25%. Last weekend on the BBC Sunday…

Tag: Education