Welsh Labour Ministers have backed a half-funded policy they previously condemned, Welsh Conservatives claimed yesterday.
Labour Ministers, desperate to get their Budget passed, have agreed to a £20million Pupil Premium, at half the cost estimated by the Liberal Democrats and a policy which Labour previously criticised because certain ‘areas of Wales would lose out’.
Earlier this year, Leighton Andrews told the Assembly he had ‘no plans’ to introduce a Pupil Premium ‘allocated by central diktat’.
Welsh Conservatives today sought an explanation from Labour’s Education Minister as to why he is now pursuing a policy to which he strongly objected only several months ago.
Angela Burns AM, Shadow Minister for Education, said, “Welsh Labour Ministers have long held a principled position of objection to the Pupil Premium policy.
“In the Assembly elections and since, Labour Ministers have condemned the Pupil Premium policy as unfair and too centralised.
“As time was running out to get their NHS-slashing budget approved, Labour Ministers have now committed to deliver a policy they clearly opposed, but with only half the funding.
“Students, parents and teachers need to hear reassurances from Labour’s Education Minister that he is now committed to delivering the Pupil Premium policy to improve standards in our schools.
“The Pupil Premium should be about delivering for Welsh students rather than Labour gaining a few extra votes to force through an unpalatable budget settlement.
“Welsh Conservatives have long called on Ministers to redirect resources at the frontline to tackle the widening funding gap between Wales and England.
“The Education Minister should now explain how his Pupil Premium policy will work, how it will address his previous reservations and whether it will be adequately resourced to deliver the improvements in academic attainment that our economy needs.”
