The Welsh Liberal Democrats report:
The Welsh Liberal Democrat Assembly Member for South Wales West, Peter Black has welcomed the budget deal between Labour and the Liberal Democrats that will deliver an extra £450 directly to local schools for each child on free school meals.
The total package will mean that schools in Swansea, Neath Port Talbot and Bridgend will have an extra £5.8 million to spend from May next year, targeted on the poorest children, who are already under-achieving. This breaks down as £2.57m for Swansea, £1.53m for Bridgend and £1.71m for Neath Port Talbot.
Commenting on the outcome of the budget negotiations, Mr. Black said this was a good deal for schools that will go some way to closing the £600 per pupil funding gap between England and Wales:
“Investment in local schools is the best way to break down the cycle of poverty, poor health and a weak economy,” said Mr. Black. “Welsh Liberal Democrats have ensured that education has been given a much higher priority in the budget.
“The pupil premium will begin to break the link, school by school, community by community, between poverty and attainment that has dogged our education system for so long.”
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Also:
“In addition, we have been able to agree an Economic Stimulus Package of £38.9 million to be spent on a range of measures to stimulate the economy and protect jobs. These include extra resources for the Young Recruits and Skills Growth Wales programmes, capital investment for our schools and social housing and more investment in the Arbed energy efficiency programme.”
Well done Kirsty Williams and co.
Shame it probably won’t get reported much outside Wales.
Btw, you’ve quoted and linked to a statement by Peter Black relating to how specifically his corner of Wales will benefit. (£5.8m)
The official statement from Carwyn Jones/Kirsty Williams gives the total figure:
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have agreed to support next year’s Budget on the basis of securing an extra £20 million for a new Pupil Deprivation Grant, which will stand at £32.04 million in total for 2012/13, to reduce the impact of poverty on educational attainment.:
http://wales.gov.uk/newsroom/firstminister/2011/111125budget/?lang=en
Thanks Cassie. We’ll have more on the story on Monday with a piece from Kirsty.