02Sep 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Schools: Davey calls on PM to provide proper catch-up funding

Schools: Davey calls on PM to provide proper catch-up funding

Parliamentary news
Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey MP has called on the Prime Minister to provide proper funding so that children can catch up on the education they missed during during the pandemic. Ed Davey said: “Boris Johnson’s refusal to fund his own adviser’s education catch-up plan is a shocking betrayal of our children’s futures. “As children go back to school, parents are understandably anxious about all the learning they've missed out on during Covid. “Children, parents and teachers have done everything that’s been asked of them during the Covid crisis, but have been let down repeatedly by the appalling failures of Gavin Williamson and this Conservative Government. “Tory Ministers must listen to what parents are telling them and stump up the cash schools need to make up for the…
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13Aug 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Special congratulations due to pupils qualifying in most difficult academic year

Borough news
Despite the adversity faced by students learning during the UK’s worst pandemic in over 100 years, Oldham’s pupils are still expected to shine this week in their A Levels and BTEC’s, Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Leader Councillor Howard Sykes MBE could not be prouder of our future generation. “Hats off to all of our young people; they have stuck at it and performed magnificently, and I send to them all my congratulations on their amazing achievement,” said Councillor Sykes. "As life has changed for all of us, since March 2020, so too has life for students. They have had to adapt to learning from home via a virtual link with their teacher and with no personal contact with tutors and friends for long periods, and they have seen their school attendance…
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27Jul 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
PM’s summit risks becoming ‘national embarrassment’

PM’s summit risks becoming ‘national embarrassment’

Parliamentary news
Ahead of Boris Johnson co-hosting a Global Education summit, Liberal Democrats Spokesperson for International Development Layla Moran MP said: "Girls’ education was once a priority for this Prime Minister. Now he uses it as a political sound bite while he goes back on a promise he made to the country and to the 130 million girls who currently have no access to education, at a time when funds have never been more urgently needed. "This week’s summit risks being a national embarrassment. How can the Prime Minister stand up and urge other countries to give generously, while he is slashing spending on girls’ education by nearly £300 million this year? Boris Johnson is taking global leaders for fools if he thinks they won’t see through his ‘do as I say,…
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21Jul 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
1m children not in school: Education crisis worsening by the day

1m children not in school: Education crisis worsening by the day

Parliamentary news
Munira Wilson MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Health and parent of a child told to stay at home due to covid rules, has responded to news that 1 million children are currently not attending school. She said: "We are in the midst of an education crisis which is worsening by the day. "As a parent myself with a child told to stay at home right now, I know how tough it is when the dreaded text from school arrives. "Behind this number are children without laptops, untold impacts on their mental health and parents forced to stay at home instead of working. "The Prime Minister needs to act today on this if schools are to return in Autumn. He must act without delay to protect millions of children's mental health…
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21Jul 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Oldham Liberal Democrats back campaign to end Summer holiday hunger

Oldham Liberal Democrats back campaign to end Summer holiday hunger

Borough news
Oldham’s Liberal Democrat Councillors have backed a call from the National Education Union to the government to end school summer holiday hunger. The councillors have co-signed a letter to the Prime Minister seeking the return of a special payment to poorer families of £15 per week for each child normally in receipt of means-tested free school meals. This is to provide families with extra food to compensate them for the loss of free school meals for that child during the summer holidays. Commenting, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE said: “Last year, the government finally listened to the many voices, including ours, calling for an end to kids going hungry over the summer and did the decent thing by introducing this payment whilst Britain was in the grip of the COVID pandemic.…
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25Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
£90million Pupil Premium cut is “shameful penny pinching” say Lib Dems

£90million Pupil Premium cut is “shameful penny pinching” say Lib Dems

Parliamentary news
Responding to the news that the Government has planned to cut Pupil Premium funding by some £90million, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education Daisy Cooper MP said: "Liberal Democrats warned the government months ago that the most disadvantaged children would lose out on support because of the Government’s shameful penny pinching. “We wrote to the Education Secretary months ago urging him not to go ahead with this cut and teachers warned of the impact this would have for disadvantaged pupils - but the Government simply refused to listen. The Tories talk about the importance of levelling up in our education system, but the reality is they have cut vital funding which gives support to the poorest pupils.  "This will have a devastating impact for pupils who are recovering from months of…
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22Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
“Despicable” report pits poor kids against each other

“Despicable” report pits poor kids against each other

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Education Committee's latest report, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education Daisy Cooper MP said: “The real story of this report is the Government is badly letting down all of our country’s poorest children. “Pitting kids against each other based on the colour of their skin is a truly despicable thing to do. Instead of stoking up the culture war, the government should gets its act together and provide proper funding for the catch up programme families so desperately need. “The truth is the report reveals that disparities have far more to do with where a child lives. If levelling up meant anything at all, it would start in the classrooms from coast to coast."
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16Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

We need real investment in post-Covid education catch up for our children

Borough news
Oldham Liberal Democrat Councillors have all joined a call to Prime Minister Boris Johnson for real government investment to be made in education to provide further tuition to school children to catch up on learning lost because of Covid-19. Local Liberal Democrat Councillors signed the open letter to Prime Minister Johnson, which is being coordinated by the teachers’ representative body, the National Education Union. Oldham Liberal Democrat Leader, Councillor Howard Sykes MBE, explained why they had done so: “Although the government has talked a lot about ‘levelling up’, investing to tackle inequalities in Britain after Covid, it has singularly failed to do so when it comes to the education of our children. The government’s own Education Recovery Tzar resigned in protest because only £1.4 billion was made available for extra…
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11Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani

Oldham Youth Service Summits

Borough news
Shaw and Crompton Liberal Democrat councillors have been informed that some exciting provision from Oldham Youth Service is happening in three of our local secondary schools.  Shaw Councillor, Howard Sykes said “Crompton House School, The Oldham Academy North and Royton & Crompton School have been offered some tailored youth work for pupils at the schools.  Part of this will see a Youth Violence Summit held on 23 June 2021 – guest speakers will be talking pupils from across the borough as well.”  The schools were asked how they would like the youth service to work with their young people and this has resulted in different types of engagement.  “Royton & Crompton School are having an afterschool drama and dance provision, focusing on the school’s values and creating a drama piece to…
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10Jun 2021 by Sam Al-Hamdani
Government must tackle sexual harassment in schools

Government must tackle sexual harassment in schools

Parliamentary news
Responding to the Ofsted Review of sexual abuse in schools and colleges, Daisy Cooper MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Education, commented: “The findings of this review are deeply distressing. We need to see decisive action from Government to tackle the misogyny, sexual harassment and sexual violence which is blighting the lives of too many women and girls. "It is clear from student and teachers' feedback that relationship, health and sex education falls well short on the vital subject of consent. “Consent must now be put at the heart of relationship, health and sex education and training on consent must be made available to every member of school staff who students are likely to approach, so adults are empowered to support students whether they seek support inside or outside the classroom.…
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