GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO FAIL CHILDREN AT SCHOOL
September 29, 2006 12:00 AM
The latest set of official figures show that the number of oversized classes (classes with thirty or more children) for five to seven year-olds has more than doubled since 2002. In real terms, this amounts to 27,882 pupils that are taught in such classes, and highlights the failure of New Labour to address the poor state of the education system that it received from the Tory government in 1997.
Commenting, Greg Mulholland, the Liberal Democrat Shadow Minister for Schools, said:
"Primary school is one of the most crucial stages in a child's development. It is inexcusable that over twenty-seven thousand children are being taught in classes that are simply too large. It is even more concerning, that the situation is getting worse, not better; quite simply New Labour has failed the younger generation.
"The Government is wasting money on its hair-brained Child Trust Fund project that locks up tax payers' money, when it should be being spent now on reducing class sizes.
"We are already seeing evidence of the impact large classes have on the ability of children to progress at school. For example, since last year there has been a fall in the number of seven year-olds reaching the required standards in maths, science and English national curriculum tests."
What would you like to do next?
-
Subscribe for updates
Follow the party's activity on...
- Twitter:
- Liberal Democrats
- Facebook:
- Liberal Democrats
- YouTube:
- Liberal Democrats