Mike Penning, MP for Hemel Hempstead, has condemned the Government for its announcement that local sixth forms will see a uniform 3.71% reduction in funding for 16 to 18 year olds.
At the beginning of March schools and colleges with sixth forms received letters telling them their “final” funding allocations and they began planning accordingly. At the end of the month, the Government backtracked on the announcement resulting in funding of education for 16-18 year olds being cut by 3.71% across the board.
Mike Penning said:
“It is hard to imagine a blunder of this magnitude. Schools across the country are now in the position of having offered places to pupils that they can no longer fund.”
Government Ministers are now attempting to shift the blame to the Learning and Skills Council – sometimes called “Britain’s biggest quango” – which is charged with implementing the Government’s decisions in this area and is already in trouble following the failure of the college rebuilding scheme.
Mike, who joined other Hertfordshire MPs in calling for a meeting with the Education Minister, said:
“The Government can attempt to blame who they like, but the reality is that many of our local schools could face difficulties in meeting the commitments they made before their promised funding was pulled away at the last minute.
“We are seeing a Government in panic mode – with major decisions being left to the last minute and then rushed through. Unfortunately it is the people on the ground that are left to pick up the pieces.”
“In typical fashion, the Government has been pushing for more and more teenagers to stay on at school without thinking through the necessary funding. Then, when the credit crunch hits and more youngsters stay on at school to improve their chances in the labour market, the cupboard is bare.
“Our teenagers deserve the best. It is an increasingly competitive world and now is not the time to let them down.” he added.
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