Children and young people only get one shot at their education and it is therefore vital that we do not let them down. Unfortunately though, due to years of Welsh Labour underfunding, we have been, with our education system falling behind systems in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The financial situation for schools across Wales has become critical, leaving schools in Conwy and Denbighshire struggling to make ends meet. This year Conwy County Borough Council experienced the highest percentage cut across Wales.
Earlier this month, the UK Conservative Government announced it will boost education spending by £14 billion in England over the next three years and that the Welsh Labour Government will receive £1.24 billion in extra spending. In light of the underfunding in education in Wales, it is absolutely paramount that this additional funding is spent on our schools.
Welsh Conservatives are so keen to see this happen that they have created localised school funding graphics per local authority area to put pressure on the Welsh Government to spend the extra money directly on primary and secondary schools, as is the case in England, but which the Welsh Government do not have to do in Wales.
Schools in Conwy could receive an additional £42.7 million over the next three years and schools in Denbighshire £41.9 million, if the Welsh Government act on our calls. .
For every pound spent on schools in England, the Welsh Government receives £1.20 to spend here – yet in spite of this, pupils in Wales attract almost £700 less in spending than those over the border and with the spending boost in England that gap will grow even larger unless the Welsh Government takes action.
The spending gap is a national scandal, and with such significant underfunding it's little wonder that Wales’ education system is at the bottom of the UK league table and languishing in the bottom half of international rankings.
Unless the Welsh Government heed and respond to our calls to invest this additional funding in our schools, the gap between England and Wales will only get wider. We can’t allow for this to happen and for another generation to be failed.
Parents, teachers and pupils in Wales are sick of being the poor relation. The National Survey for Wales (April 2017 – May 2018) suggested that one in four parents are not satisfied with their children’s secondary school and some concerned parents have even moved across the border to England to ensure their children receive the best start in life. This needs to change, and can change if this additional money is invested in the right places.
We have some fantastic schools and teachers throughout North Wales and I am grateful for the hardworking staff I meet in schools in my own constituency, but we must ensure they are provided with the support they need and the resources they to deliver the best outcomes for their pupils.
The Welsh Labour-led Government – and their Lib Dem Education Minister - have been given a fantastic opportunity to invest in the next generation and deliver a robust plan to ensure that Wales has a thriving education system which helps our children to flourish – I’ll be doing everything within my power to ensure that they don’t blow it.