Grammar schools cash will do little for Cornwall Schools

Government prefers to fund divisive Grammar schools rather than invest properly in all our children’s futures

Grammar schools cash will do little for Cornwall Schools that are losing out due to changes in Government funding.

The Government’s plan to spend £320m on 140 new Grammar and ‘Free’ Schools in England, is a waste of money at the same as it is cutting funding to Cornwall’s existing schools, say Cornwall’s Liberal Democrats on the Budget announcements.

Research has shows that from 2015 – 2020 the Conservative Government is cutting more than £26m from Cornwall’s education budgets, which is a cut of more than £400 per pupil across Cornwall and is the equivalent of over 700 teachers in Cornwall.

Cornwall Council opposes proposals to bring back Grammar Schools. In a motion passed in November, it said “They are divisive, likely to damage the education prospects of less well off children and lead to a downgrading of remaining schools.”

Cllr Adam Paynter, Deputy Leader of Cornwall Council and Leader of the Lib Dem Group on the Council said, “If the Conservative government can find extra money to spend on education they should be using it to reverse the devastating cuts to school budgets and give hard working teachers a pay rise – not pumping more and more money into a scheme which is simply not working and failing to deliver for the young people who need most support.”

“Existing local schools and colleges in Cornwall have shown that they can give an excellent education for the young people of Cornwall, they need to be supported, and not undermined by moves like this from the Conservative government.” Cllr Paynter said.