LIBERAL Democrat leader Tim Farron has backed the Fair Funding campaign for Solihull Schools campaign this week.
Mr Farron visited the Happy Hearts Café in Olton where he met with Claire Melia, Jeni Mills and Lisa Evans, who are all parent governors from schools campaigning against Government cuts to education funding.
He agreed to endorse the campaign as the Lib Dems believe schools are in crisis, facing cuts to their budgets of £11.8 million by 2019.
Tim said: “Teachers do a brilliant job. Liberal Democrats will invest £7billion in education and we oppose this destructive Conservative policy.”
The Lib Dems are challenging the Conservatives’ unfair allocation of funds which is starving schools of cash.
The campaign representatives said schools are facing problems on many levels, the lack of cash means that buildings are crumbling, new equipment cannot be bought, sports provision and special needs cannot be met.
Claire Melia said: “Obviously we support children from disadvantaged backgrounds getting more funding, but the overall budget for schools needs to be increased because there’s not enough there in the first place.
“Some schools are also having to narrow the curriculum because of these cuts, so children are not getting the broad education that they deserve.”
Ade Adeyemo, Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate for Solihull, said: “There has been a particular problem in our area as we have been in the lower quartile for the funding formula and have therefore been given less money per pupil than, say, Birmingham has received.”
