Fairer funding for Devon's schools

There are many constituency issues that I have taken up in Westminster since my election (not least some of those raised by around 2,000 constituents who have contacted me since May).

One of the most important has been that of school funding. I have fought for years on the issue of fairer funding for Devon's schools. As an MP I have already raised this issue personally with our Education Secretary, Michael Gove, and just before the Christmas recess I managed to get in a question for Education Questions in the chamber.

I asked the minister: 'Historically, Devon has suffered from a lower Dedicated Schools Grant than other parts of the country. Will he confirm that he is looking closely at per pupil funding, and that schools in my constituency can expect a fairer deal in the future?'

The reply from the minister included, 'we recognise that the school funding system is currently unfair, opaque and illogical. A number of local authorities, particularly those in the F40 group, believe that they are not funded correctly. We will consider that over the longer term to address that unfairness.'

This has given me hope that the Government will address our unfair funding formula, one that currently sees Devon languishing right near the bottom of the table.

I do accept that funding should be tailored to the specific needs and challenges of different areas and that different levels of per pupil support are therefore justified, but it is too often the case that the countryside is seen as leafy and comfortable when in fact it has its own real challenges, including additional costs for teacher recruitment and school transport.

In 2011 I will continue to fight hard on this issue and ensure that our voice is heard in Westminster.