Lib Dem boost for Education in Blackburn & Darwen

The Liberal Democrats have set out radical plans to invest extra money in schools to give every child a fair chance.

Liberal Democrat Candidate for Blackburn, Paul English said. " This will make a fantastic difference to pupils in Blackburn & Darwen. It will mean almost £12 million extra to be spent on education in our local schools.

We will invest an extra £2.5bn in schools through a Pupil Premium that will raise funding for the poorest pupils to private school levels. "

The money will be targeted at schools taking on children who need more help, but will benefit every child in every school. The cash can be used to cut class sizes and provide one-to-one tuition or catch-up classes, ensuring every child gets the individual attention they need.

An average primary school could cut class sizes to 20. An average secondary school could see classes of just 16.

Commenting, Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg said:

"In 1997, when New Labour was first elected, no one would have believed it would end like this.

"Labour's bright promise of a fair society has faded away.

"Our big task now is giving people back their hope that things can be different, and better, and that the fair society we have hoped for so long can become a reality.

"If you want to build that fair society I believe education is everything. That is why the biggest financial commitment in our manifesto is to our schools.

"With the deficit as it is, everyone knows money is tight, but this is a question of priorities.

"We have identified in our manifesto £15bn of savings, of which we will redirect just £5bn to alternate spending. It is a measure of my personal commitment and passion for education that half of that money will go into our schools.

"Our plans will raise the money spent on the million children from the poorest backgrounds to private school levels.

"Headteachers will be able to use that money on a whole range of measures to help all pupils and all schools.

"Cutting class sizes, providing more one-to-one tuition and catch-up classes: whatever suits their school and their pupils' needs best. With a simple, but profound ambition: to make sure every child gets the fair start in life they deserve."

Costs & Savings

This policy costs £2.5bn a year, and will be introduced in the second year of the Parliament after our jobs stimulus package, paid for from savings in government such as our proposed reforms to tax credits (which will save up to £1.5bn) and administrative savings in the Department for Education and quangos (which saves up to an additional £1bn