Chancellor cut billions from schools and now offering whiteboards - Angela Rayner

Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, responding to the Chancellor of the Exchequer saying money for schools in the Budget could be for whiteboards, said:

“The Chancellor has cut billions from our schools and now he is offering them a 'little extra' whiteboard.

“This shows how desperately out of touch the Tories are when tens of thousands of teachers, teaching assistants and support staff have been cut and headteachers are begging parents for money for basic supplies.

“As well as fixing their crumbling buildings, our schools urgently need more staff and basic equipment like books and stationery."

Ends

Notes to editors

From the Today programme this morning:

Nick Robinson: What do you mean “little extras”?

Philip Hammond: Well for example if a school needs to buy a couple of whiteboards or some laptop computers or something like that having a cheque for £50,000 I would have thought would be quite useful for most schools.

Nick Robinson: I think many teachers would say it would be a damn sight more useful to have some more teachers for example or not to have to appeal to parents to pay for the stationary or toilet rolls as we heard in one case.