Free-school funding a disgrace, says Meacher

Michael Meacher

MICHAEL Meacher is demanding the Government pay the difference in cash spent on free school pupils to state places, to provide a level playing field.

The Oldham West and Royton MP branded figures showing England’s free schools received 60 per cent more funding per pupil than local authority primary and secondary schools or academies “a disgrace and utter waste of public money”.

He said: “This is nothing more than a political project. This government is insisting on austerity cuts to almost everything, yet throwing money into free schools seems OK. There is no justification for pupils getting significantly more cash per head than most in Oldham.

“Clearly there is money, as the Government is finding it for free schools so it should find the difference for the majority of our Oldham pupils.”

Average funding given to a free school pupil was £7,767 last year compared with £4,767 for other pupils, according to the Department for Education.