Good Intentions - Bad Foundations Threaten Welsh Education

4.00.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Wed 16th Apr 2008

The Welsh Liberal Dems today challenged the Welsh Assembly Government on what is fast becoming the shambolic implementation of the Foundation Phase, which is due to begin in just 5 months time.

The Assembly Government has come under ever increasing pressure from Local Government, Teachers and Unions to address severe funding shortages. The current levels of funding fail to allow schools to employ adequate staff, to train existing staff, to retain staff during the Autumn and Spring Term, to make buildings ready for the demands of the new curriculum and to adequately resource classrooms.

Kirsty Williams Welsh Lib Dem spokesperson for Education, said: "The level of funding from WAG were expected to be announced in January but they didn't come until March and when they arrived they were short.

"We are now in the situation where the Minister is Scurrying around desperately trying to arrange consortia meetings to sort some of this mess out. It is not a case of Johnny but Jane come lately.

"We now face the possibility of teachers in two parts of the country who boycotting this Flagship scheme, not because they disagree with its principals but because they have not been given the resources and funding by the Government. In other areas to protect the levels of funding that have gone to pilot schools Local Authorities are letting other schools go without. In other schools leaders are shifting resources from other classes.

"The Minister states that they have given £107million for the foundation phase but neglects to say that this will be over three years. It has been estimated that to implement the foundation phase for nursery and reception years alone would cost £107m across Wales and this is without year's 1 and 2."

Association of Directors of Education in Wales (ADEW) estimates that of the £107M promised by WAG over 3 years, only £41M is additional funding.

Kirsty continued: "This is yet another example of the funding fog within Welsh Education and the need for a more transparent system.

"The First Minister has stated that the Government is giving Local Authorities the money they have asked for but this is simply not true. The ESG report of summer 2007 and evidence given to the Assembly's Finance committee identified that an additional £30mill would be needed. But instead they are getting a much reduced £15 million, which rises to £25milion if you generously include the pilots.

"We had a wonderful opportunity to transform Education across Wales for our youngest pupils and yet this Plaid-Labour Government in its inadequate planning and resourcing is missing that chance."

Notes:

Shortfall's 08/09:

Cardiff - £1,600,000

Powys - £1,000,000

Ceridigion - £880,000

Bridgend - £800,000

Swansea - £720,000

Flint - £560,000

Newport - £450,000

ADEW March 2008

Expenditure Sub Group (ESG) Report 2008/09 - 2010/11: http://64.233.183.104/search?q=cache:zzhAGdUGspYJ:www.wlga.gov.uk/download.php%3Fid%3D1553+esg+report+foundation+phase&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=uk