(Portsmouth South)
(Lab): What recent assessment she has made of the
adequacy of capital funding for schools. [902845]
The Minister for School Standards (Nick Gibb):
The Government are making a significant capital investment in the
school estate: we have committed over £23 billion in capital
funding over the period 2016-21. This will create over 600,000
new school places, rebuild buildings in the worst condition at
over 500 schools through the priority school building programme,
and deliver thousands of projects to improve the physical
condition of school buildings. Since 2010, capital funding has
resulted in 735,000 new places and revenue funding is at an
all-time high at £41 billion.
: Recent research by
the National Education Union and Tes found that 94% of teachers
pay for essential classroom supplies, including at schools in my
constituency where glue-sticks are being brought in by
hard-working staff. With this in mind, does the Minister still
maintain that Portsmouth’s schools have enough money and
resources?
: No parent should be
expected to pay for the basic needs of their school, although
they can, of course, be asked to fund school trips and extra
things. We are spending record amounts on our school system: £41
billion this year, rising to £43.5 billion by 2019-20, and
standards are rising in our school system, too, in reading, maths
and GCSEs, despite a more rigorous curriculum in our secondary
and primary schools.
