FIONA Bruce, MP for Middlewich, has presented a petition in Parliament to stop the ‘unfair funding formula’ for schools.

The petition proposed that the Government’s scheme for school funding does not represent fair funding for pupils in the constituency of Congleton.

The ongoing campaign for equal funding for schools across the country aims for the government to increase investment in all schools and provide additional funding for maintained schools and academies in poorly funded areas of England, without the need to cut funding from other schools.

Fiona said: “Pupils in the Cheshire East local authority would be the lowest funded in the country.

“Some Members of Parliament present petitions on behalf of their constituents to the House of Commons, but do not necessarily add their own support.

“I wanted to add, on the record in the House of Commons, my wholehearted personal support for this campaign.

“From the very initial announcement by Government of these proposals, I raised the strongest objections with the education ministers, and was the first MP to arrange a meeting between the schools minister and head teachers from right across my constituency, to ensure their objections were heard loudly and clearly.

“These proposals are not fair, and must be reviewed and changed. I’ve made it very clear to the secretary of state for education personally that I will not vote for these proposals as they stand – east Cheshire pupils deserve more.”

Fiona has called for Parliament to review the funding formula to reflect a fairer level of funding for local schools. This would also ensure that children in the borough have the same opportunities as children in similar schools and local authorities across the country.

Already historically underfunded, schools in east Cheshire would sit rock bottom under new proposals.

Anybody wishing to support the campaign should visit fairfundingforallschools.org.