Yet again, the school funding gap widens:-
THE FUNDING gap between Worcestershire children and the national average payment has trebled since 1997 (was £150 now £420 per pupil per year less).
The gap between Birmingham children and Worcestershire children has increased from £270 per child per year less in 1997, to a whopping £840 per child per year less in 2006.
What we need is a fairer system that pays out more basic funding for each child - less add-ons, a deprivation top-up system that actually gets the additional cash to every child that needs it, regardless of where they happen to live, and an annual increase that doesn't simply blandly advantage those who have most already and penalise those who have least each year.
This is what f40 (the organisation set up to fight for fairer funding, and made up by the lowest funded authorities in the country, of which Worcs is one of the lowest funded) are fighting for.
Take a look at our website.
I was invited to sit as a parent on the executive committee, and attend the f40 meetings.
We are currently in talks with, and submitting information to the dfes, which further proves the unfairness and discrimination which exists against our children.
f40 have also developed and trialled an alternative funding model, based on the TRUE running costs of schools, which is currently being trialled across several f40 authorities.
In basic terms, schools put in their justified running costs, and at the other end, out pops the figure in funding terms, per pupil, which is needed to effectively run a school.
I am hoping that our own authority, which has purchased the funding model, but not so far implemented it, will now go ahead and trial it across a selection of Worcs schools, to ensure that Worcs stays one of the main authorities at the forefront of those leading the funding campaign, pushing the dfes to make the necessary changes.
Helen Donovan's energy and committment to fairer educational funding for our children has to be applauded.
She is a tireless campaigner who singlehandly started a petition back in 2000 to publicise the inequality of funding in our county.She collected over 10000 signatures.She did this at her own expense contacting schools and delivering petitions.
She has been accused political bias but she has more integrity in her little finger than those who shamefully slur her efforts.
I like Helen cannot understand why my children are worth so much less than our neighbouring counties.
I do not care whose fault it is or was I just want the best opportunities for all of our children.
I do hope that 2007 will bring a change to the educational funding of our county.
Helen Donovan's energy and committment to fairer educational funding for our children has to be applauded.
She is a tireless campaigner who singlehandly started a petition back in 2000 to publicise the inequality of funding in our county.She collected over 10000 signatures.She did this at her own expense contacting schools and delivering petitions.
She has been accused political bias but she has more integrity in her little finger than those who shamefully slur her efforts.
I like Helen cannot understand why my children are worth so much less than our neighbouring counties.
I do not care whose fault it is or was I just want the best opportunities for all of our children.
I do hope that 2007 will bring a change to the educational funding of our county.
