Conservatives announce plans for an extra £2million investment
in schools
8 November 2007
The new Conservative Council has announced it intends to abandon the previous Council’s practice of limiting the amount of investment in schools...
The new Conservative Council has announced it intends to abandon the previous Council’s practice of limiting the amount of investment in schools and will instead increase the investment programme by £2million over the next five years. Previously, the Council had only spent money specifically allocated nationally for schools and schools and had been unable to benefit from the millions the Council had to spend on other things. Now, this practice is being scrapped by the new administration to enable schools to benefit from the Council millions that have been available to other departments.
Cllr Sheila Cook, Conservative Cabinet Member for Children and Young People comments,
“Our top priority as a new administration is to improve standards in our schools and deliver better opportunities in life for our young people. There can be no better investment than in the future of our young people and equipping them with the highest possible standards of skills and qualifications.”
“We recognise that to support educational improvements we need to increase the investment programme in our schools which is why we are scrapping the previous Council position of capping the investment levels and instead increasing it by £2million. We have argued, successfully, in the past that more should be spent on schools and now we are in a position to do it.”
“Buildings and facilities alone won’t deliver improved standards but ensuring that our students are taught in decent buildings with quality facilities does make a significant contribution to our student’s success.”
“We have a major school investment programme underway including the rebuilding of Filton High School, a number of new primary schools across the district and other major improvements, this extra funding will now enable more schools to benefit.”
The proposed £2million increase will need to be approved by Council in February.
Cllr Cook has already announced the new administration’s plan for new investment in tackling the problem of bullying in schools and also for a major new awards programme for students from every secondary school, special school and the Pupil Referral Unit.