Government must reverse cuts to Croydon’s schools
Steve Reed, MP for Croydon North, has called on the Chancellor to use the upcoming Autumn Statement to reverse school funding cuts.
New figures released by the National Union of Teachers show that school funding in Croydon North is expected to fall by £337 per pupil by 2020 – an average 7% budget cut per school.
With Croydon already facing a school places shortage because of years of Tory failure to invest in our schools, further cuts would mean an increase in class size and more children being let down.
The Autumn Statement, in which Philip Hammond will set out the Government’s economic policy, must now include further money for education.
Steve Reed MP said:
These figures are deeply worrying at a time when Croydon faces a crisis in terms of how many places our schools have.
These are shaping up to be the largest cuts to school funding in a generation. Croydon will see bigger class sizes, subjects dropped, and buildings fall in to disrepair.
The Chancellor should use the Autumn Statement this month to turn back from what will be deeply damaging set of cuts.
Steven Reed is Labour MP for Croydon North and Shadow Minister for Children and Families. In 2018 his private member’s bill on reducing violent mental health restraint became law. In June 2019 he launched Labour’s civil society strategy outlining radical plans to empower citizens and communities.
Steve chairs the Cooperative Councils Innovation Network, co-chairs the All-Party Parliamentary Group for London, was Leader of Lambeth Council 2006-12 where he led the council’s children’s services to become best-rated in the country and pioneered the public-health approach to tackling violent youth crime. He worked in publishing for 16 years and was an elected trade union branch secretary.