Reed challenges Chancellor over school-places crisis

Labour’s Steve Reed MP has raised Croydon’s growing school-places crisis in the House of Commons.  Speaking during the Autumn Economic Statement, Steve Reed asked why the Government has failed  to act despite Council figures showing 2,475 Croydon children could be left without a permanent school place by 2016.

During his speech Chancellor George Osborne failed to explain why he had cut the previous government’s school-building programme in half straight after the 2010 General Election.   Mr Reed pointed out that Croydon has the biggest growth in demand for school places in the country but inadequate Government investment means thousands of local children face being taught in overcrowded schools, portakabins, or forced to travel miles across London to find a school place.

Speaking after the debate Steve Reed MP said: “Parents across Croydon North are angry that the Government is failing to provide a place in a good local school for every child.  If we fail to educate our children properly we are storing up trouble for the future.  It’s time for the Government to put dogma aside and provide the places that children and parents need right here in Croydon.”