01/03/2010 - Schools and parents must work together to give each child a fair chance
Denis Healy has backed Liberal Democrat Leader Nick Clegg's pledge to tackle inequality in a speech to the Salvation Army. Committing the Liberal Democrats to invest an extra £2.5bn in schools, Nick Clegg said that parents and schools must work together to
Lib Dem campaigner Denis Healy welcomed Nick Clegg's message.
"Under the leadership of the Liberal Democrats, Hull City Council has significantly improved the standard of education in Hull in recent years, achieving record GCSE results" said Denis.
"But there is only so much the schools can do, for as every good parent knows, education does not stop at the school gate." Denis continued "For our children to flourish it is vital that they are also taught the right values and given the right support, at home."
The Lib Dems plan to provide extra money to schools so that they can employ better teachers and make class sizes smaller, thus improving the chances for children who need the most help. The proposed Pupil Premium scheme will close the funding gap between the poorest children and children who attend private schools.
"We have set out exactly what needs to be done, how much it will cost and how we will pay for it," said Denis Healy.
"In contrast, Labour have failed to improve the life chances of thousands of children despite all the money put into schools, while the Tories have given us rhetoric of school reform without promising a single penny to achieve it," added Denis.
Full News Archive List