The Largest Teachers’ organisation in Europe is continuing to build its campaign against the inadequacies of funding for education of pupils in schools throughout Wales. Wales Secretary David Evans commented:

“The NUT has received very positive feedback from its campaign in which we have highlighted the major discrepancies between per pupil funding for every school in Wales when compared to similar schools in England. The Welsh Assembly Government’s own statistics show that Welsh schools are the poor relations by up to as much as £496 per pupil in every academic year. That can run into tens and hundreds of thousand of pounds, money which schools cannot afford to lose.

“This is an issue that we have raised with the Education Minister, the Candidates for the Labour Leadership race in Wales and with AMs in general. We have also secured thousands of signatures to a petition that calls upon the Welsh Assembly Government to act decisively to redress this imbalance. Those signatures have been obtained from parents and the general public, all of whom agree that there is an unacceptable discrepancy which means that Welsh pupils are not being provided for adequately.

“On 8 December we intend to lobby the Senydd and will be inviting all Assembly members to discuss this issue with us.”

Please Note: Copies of the NUT petition are available on the teachers.org.uk website. The petition has been sent to every school in Wales together with explanatory information. Further information regarding the above can be obtained from:

David Evans, NUT Cymru, Tŷ Sinnott, 18 Neptune Court, Vanguard Way, Cardiff CF24 5PJ. Tel: 02920 491818. Mob: 07815 071164 e-mail: cymru.wales@nut.org.uk