Exeter pupils suffer as usual

8.30.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 7th Jul 2009

Graham Oakes, a former Governor of Stoke Hill School, past Chair of Lifelong Learning Scrutiny and the Lib Dem PPC for Exeter, has criticised the new Tory in charge of Exeter Schools.

"With falling rolls and significant pressures on budgets our schools need and deserve the active support of the person at County Hall who is nominally in charge of education. Cllr Christine Channon has failed her first test in that role"

Graham, who knows Cllr Channon well, from their years on Devon County Council together, added: "A number of our schools are being hit by falling rolls due to demographics and they are struggling to balance the books whilst facing the added pressures of massive hikes in energy bills. Falling rolls should provide us with the opportunity to reduce class sizes and push up attainment; however our schools are being denied that opportunity."

"Devon schools have been short changed by successive governments and it's a matter of shame that Labour have failed to treat all pupils equally. "

"For Cllr Channon to complain about school funding is pure hypocrisy. She wants to cut overall funding to Devon County Council by freezing the Council Tax - which will hurt schools the hardest and she supported the introduction of the present funding formula by the last Tory government. It is that Tory system that takes £125,000 away from schools like Stoke Hill Juniors and gives it to far wealthy counties in the South East."

"Our schools deserve to have a portfolio holder who will stand up for them and fight for a fair deal for every pupil in Devon."