What people are saying

As a parent and Chair of the school P.T.A, I find the lack of school funding in Devon to be offensive. As like many P.T.A's, we raise money not just to provide subsidised trips for our pupils but also for school equipment and in some cases we provide funding for books. This is absurd. We are a small school with only 70 pupils (at time of writing), who have recently gone down the 'federation' route, sharing resources with other schools, who unfortunately are not even in our near vicinity. Parents are constantly being asked to 'donate' to school trips/ outside visits from educational establishments i.e the science dome etc. The bottom line is we rely on parents more and more just to provide transport to get our children to the local swimming pool and then we have to pay for that too, even though it is on the cirriculum and in school time. In Devon, we are seen as being 'well off' and this doesn't help our cause. We are lucky enough in our school to have some brilliant teachers who have the chance to bring out the best in our children, but we also have shared classrooms i.e reception/year 1, year 2 & 3 etc. Our children are well adjusted, well educated and confident, but just think what could be done with that extra money. All children in the South West should have the same opportunities.

Kim Bates
Postcode: EX5 1AY / Lady Seawards, Clyst St George

It is diabolical that our children get less funding and therefore an unfair disadvantage over other children in better funded areas. The south west is always left behind the rest of the country yet when they are ready to retire where do they all head!?

Kennedy
Postcode: EX5 4NB / Duchy School, Bradninch

As a Liberal Democrat I am passionately committed to fair funding - pupils across the country are not getting sufficient one to one tuition, class sizes are too big and money is not available for necessary teaching support

Paull Robathan
Postcode: TA13 5LW / Exmouth College

Why should our children be taught in tempory 1960 class rooms and a Village Hall that during P E leaves splinters in our children!  We all pay taxes we want a fair system and a equal share of the funding. 

Tina Ley
Postcode: EX36 4DX / Bishops Nympton Primary

It is selfish for the goverment not to pay for schools and the amount they need, goverment are saying that school levels and GCSE grades are going down well if we had the right amount of money for equiptment grades may go back up so please goverment buck your ideas up and dont be pathetic. 

Lee Campion
Postcode: EX22 / Holsworthy Community College

As far as the Government is concerned, the West Country ends at Bristol. Someone seems to have wiped off their maps about 200 miles of country!! Its not just funding, its wages as well.

Nick Butler
Postcode: TQ11 0BH / St Mary's Roman Catholic School, Buckfast

I have set up a group on FACEBOOK called fair funding for Devons' schools and I'm inviting all local people to sign the e-petition.

Melanie Scott
Postcode: EX22 7PW / Bradworthy School

All students deserve to be treated fairly and therefore should get an equal amount no matter where they live

Danny Wells
Postcode: EX7 9EH / Local school: Teign School

I was aware of funding differences, but I had no idea of the huge discrepancies in education funding between urban and rural schools. It is utterly appalling that this is allowed to happen in the 21st century. I don't have children but this affects us all, now and in the future, and we must all voice our disgust at the inequalities in our education system.

Jennifer Hayes
Postcode: EX17 / Local school: Lapford Community Primary

As a parent and more recently a governor I have been advocating for the last ten years that this lottery post code system of funding for childrens education must stop. It is not fair or equitable and places a great deal of unnecessary strain on a school and its staff to deliver a quality education that other children elsewhere in the country receive without the facing the same pressures. Schools in Devon are facing very difficult times to balance their budget and having to take very difficult decisions with regard to staffing levels, not being able to provide the best facilities that they would like or the number of TA's that are desperately needed to help the lesser abled students. Is this right and fair? This government passed the Children's Act 2004 which incorporates the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters, I personally find it disgraceful that the children of Devon do not seem to matter.

Mandy Govier
Postcode: PL19 9EZ / Local school: Tavistock College

Devon's children and families should be treated fairly in the distribution of funds for education. Current disproportionate differences between local authorities need to be rectified urgently, with the same averages established between all.

Andy Mulcock
Postcode: EX1 3DS / Local school: St James, Exeter

Why is it that our children are always the ones to suffer when there is a lack of teachers and teacing assistants. Not all children are top of the class and do need extra help but they are being missed all the time. I know of numerous parents who are worried about the state of our classroom learning and worry that their children are behind as there are not enough teachers to help them! Why does this happen especially when you look at different parts of the country and see how much funding is being thrown at the schools!If they don't fund us sufficiently enough, then don't moan about our children when they do not reach their grades!

Caroline Clarke
Postcode: Ex11 1TY / Local school: West Hill

It's extraordinary that this was not resolved years ago. As Principal of a large secondary school in Ashburton, I know that I would receive an extra 1.1 million pounds in funding if I could move the school to Bristol. That would mean another 30-40 teachers or the extra Science facilities we need.Has there been an analysis of the political representation in the highest and lowest funded LAs? Devon does not have a large proportion of MPs representing the current government. Am I being too suspicious?

Ray Tarleton
Postcode: TQ13 7EW / Local school: South Dartmoor Community College

I would like to offer my support for this campaign. We are a rurally isolated and deprived college and have children with diverse needs and backgrounds. The funding we recieve makes accessing innovative curriculum difficult. We seek to inspire all our young people to achieve their best despite ths low level of funding we achieve.We seek imaginative sollutions to this problem but still find that funding shortfalls leave us struggling to provide for our young people.

Chris Long
Postcode: TQ6 9HW / Local school: Dartmouth Community College

I am both a parent and a governor of our local primary school and I am concerned about inequalities in education funding across the country. It is appreciated that different regions have differing drains on budgets but I feel very strongly that the education of our children and young people should not suffer due to geography. We ask a great deal of our young people today and it is our duty and their right that they be equipped properly and fairly in order to suceed and compete on a national level. I urge the government to end the postcode lottery evident in education funding immediately.

Kate Fox
Postcode: TQ7 1BE / Local school: Kingsbridge Community Primary School

Play fair!
A child is still a child whether they live in London or Devon. All children deserve a fair chance wherever they live - give equal education funding to all children now!

Thor Beverley
Postcode: EX39 3JN / Local school: Bideford College/Westcroft/Pynes

Devon schoolchildren are being shortchanged by the funding system used currently.It is high time this inequality was brought to an end, and this geographical discrimination ended.

Ray Rice
Postcode: EX16 4HZ / Local school: Wilcombe Primary

I find this absolutely disgraceful, both our children are at school, we both pay our taxes and we demand equality with children from other counties. Will we get a discount on our National Insure and Tax? I think NOT. This needs sorting out for children's future.

Glenda Levy
Postcode: EX14 2HZ / Local school: Littletown Primary

I support the aims of the campaign and suggest a positive approach by indicating in relation to the avaerage national funding of £4,217 the pecentage that Devion should receive. I will put a link to the campaign website from Stokenham Parish Council Website.

Name: Peter Greening
Postcode: TQ7 2SQ / Local school: Stokenham Area Primary

Injustice and inequality starts early and for most the only way out is via a decent education. To deny Devons children an equal chance is to deny them a fair fight in lifes market place.

Gordon Hook
Postcode: TQ12 1DR / Local school: Haytor View/Decoy

I am a student at Holsworthy Community College and you can tell that the school has less funding than others as some departments have to cut back, and others have limited resources that does not help the students educations nor makes the teachers live any easier. And the students and teacher all suffer in the long run.

Haydon Beagley
Postcode: PL15 9RD / Local school: Holsworthy Community College

I am disgusted that children in Devon are treated as second class citizens. Their education is the start of their lives. If they are being victimised because of the unfair funding system used by Central Government then they could be victimised in further education, higher education, career choices etc. Every child matters, so let government prove that and ensure every single child is treated equally regardless of where they live in the country.

Name: Pat Gordon
Postcode: EX16 5PG / Local school: Tiverton High School

An unmeasurable factor in this debate is the sheer effort unpaid hours our teachers other front line staff give to schools to try to compensate for the lack of financial resources. This is pure goodwill dedication to their calling. As a Governor I am concerned about workloads, work/life balance fairness. How can it be right for a crucial state provision to be so heavily reliant on the goodwill of its employees to function properly? How long can we expect this to continue? People burn out. Our students our staff deserve fair treatment with their peers. Education in Devon is good - with equitable funding it could be outstanding. Our future depends on it.

Ian Courtney
Postcode: EX20 2AH / Local school: Okehampton College

As a parent and a governor I find this underfunding of Devon children offensive. Our children deserve the same funding as the rest of the country. It would enable my child at secondary school to have the correct text books and not photocopies of questions with the vital bits missed off! It would allow my primary school age child to have access to a full term of swimming lessons not just a few weeks. It would allow us as governors not to have to cut curriculum budgets to the bone just to set a balanced budget and would enable all classes to have the support staff they need to allow our children to achieve the 5 ECM outcomes.Our children in Devon are being short changed by a government that supposedly values education. All we ask for is a level playing field.

Name: Tina Sillitoe
Postcode: EX14 2XX / Local school: Littletown, Honiton Community College

We all share in all these unjust Stealth Taxes, why are the people in Devon treated so badly, when it comes to Funding the Schools.Could it be that our votes don\t actually count for anything?When it come to the Elections, watch out.  We are not stupid, we live in the real world.A lot of votes have already been lost through MPs expenses, I know this as a fact, as I have spoken to several disallusioned voters, and helped with the last count of votes in Devon.

Name: Mr Peter D’Silva
Postcode: EX8 4DS

As a Vice Principal in a local comprehensive funding is a never ending problem of putting sticking plasters over the \'most\' important issues - rather than providing a stimulating learning environment relevent for life in the 21st century. 

Name: Sue Manning
Postcode: TQ12 1PT / Local school: Coombeshead College

As an ex school governor I saw successive years of poorer funding for Devon\s pupils despite having far higher travel costs than the national average, meaning even less money in the classroom in real terms.  I\m delighted that Devon schools are now working together to bring this disparity to the governments attention and attempt to end the discrimination children in Devon face. 

Name: Charlotte Bond
Postcode: EX31 4RT
Local school: Bratton Fleming Community Primary and Pilton Community College

I am a Headteacher working in Devon so know exactly how hard it is for budgets to stretch to meet the needs of our young people. If my school was funded even at the average rate it would mean £335 750 extra in our budget each year. The threat of redundancies, larger classes and maintaining old and temporary buildings would not be an issue. I am well aware that some schools have specific factors why their fundingn should be higher. Howevere, the method of fundignis flawed. The money needed to educate each child peroperly should be divided up between all school eqaully and then the remainder allocated as additional funding. This would at least give every child in the country equality of educational opportunities.

Name: Faith Jarrett
Postcode: DT7 3TY / Local school: Axe Valley

My daughter attends Caen Primary school which last year was placed on Special Measures by OFSTED. Bearing in mind that another school in the area is now also on special measures i think it is very important that the schools get the funding they deserve. It would make a significant difference to the pupils in the schools. Devon has high levels of rural poverty and there are areas within Devon that suffer from high levels of social deprivation. I think we need to acknowledge this, and ensure that our children have the best education possible and that means having equal opportunities to access education and equal funding that is their right.

Name: Lucy Davies
Postcode: EX33 2BJ / Local school: Caen Primary School

Our school is currently 470 pupils and every class is 30 pupils.Fair funding to average would enable us to have classes of 20 pupils!!!!!!We are measured against national data for results by national government organisations.We obviously represent excellent value for money in the deployment of our resources and the hard work put in by staff and pupils.In a 21st Century global economy it is ridiculous to see such blatant inequality in England.

Name: Roy Kerrigan
Postcode: EX16 6HH / Local school: Two Moors Primary

I can't believe that in 2009 we are having to argue that EVERY child deserves equality of opportunity.

Name: Claire McLaughlin
Postcode: EX2 7QX
Local school: Clyst Heath Nursery and Community Primary

This is absolutely appalling, staff pay would be the highest cost for any school and this is set nationally, therefore the costs would be the same for similar sized schools throughout the country (except London weighting). Added to the higher costs for travel due the rural nature of Devon and higher Water/Sewage costs then elsewhere, our children really are at a disadvantage. The whole of the South West region is at the bottom of the funding table, how can this be fair or justified for our children.

Name: Louisa Brinton
Postcode: TQ12 1PY / Local school: St Joseph's, Newton Abbot

If we were somewhere near the national average per pupil funding, we could really improve children's use of computers to support their learning. We are struggling to provide computer access for children every day at the moment. Wouldn't it be great to be able to purchase more computers, more ICT support to keep them running properly, more staff training in using computers for children's learning and more software? We could then have an achievable plan for getting to individual computer-based learning platforms for each pupil with the Merlin programme from Devon County Council. Without the extra funding, this feels rather a pipe dream. The poor level of funding for our children's learning is bound to have an impact on their aspirations and achievements as adults, however hard teachers, parents and governors try to redress this inequality.

Name: Jo Frith
Postcode: EX10 8NT / Local school: Littletown Primary School

Surely it goes without saying that children educated in the State sector should have equal opportunities and therefore funding, wherever they live

Name: Michael Clark
Postcode: EX16 9NJ / Local school: Bampton

I was shocked to discover that our county's schools are having to manage on so much less money than the average. Politicians and civil servants understand so little about the impact of rural deprivation which is such a feature of the county - particularly in North Devon.
Does central government offer any explanation as to why it is that Devon is deemed to justify so much less funding than most of the rest of the county?

Name: Johnny Forshall
Postcode: EX18 7DS / Local school: Chulmleigh

I am appalled to discover that children in Devon receive so much less per head in funding than in elsewhere. This is simple discrimination. Every child, no matter where they come from or what their background is, should receive exactly the same amount of funding as each other. The Government should be ashamed, and change this policy immediately.

Name: Susan Embleton
Postcode: EX14 1JB / Local school: Littletown Primary, Honiton

As a retired HY and still doing voluntary work in a small school, I am angry about the unfair distribution of funding. Having worked in inner city urban schools, the treatment of rural areas is appalling, and I urge Ministers to address these issues NOW.

Name: Joan Torvell
Postcode: PL19 8BY Local school: Tavistock Primary, St.Rumon's St. Peters

Where is the fairness and equality we all promote in our working and daily lives? All chidren should have the same chance in life to achieve the best they can but need the same resouces to do this,it is beyond belief that the government is allowing this unfair funding system.

Name: Michelle Bourne
Postcode: EX14 2FD / Local school: Littletown Primary School

Surely all children have the right to the same education wherever they live? A child is a child and the figure should be the same. We talk enough about equal opportunities, but realistically this isn't happening with the funding of education.

Name: Amanda Churchill-Deam
Postcode: EX14 2XZ / Local school: Littletown Primary School

Is there a government minister out there who would like to give me a call and tell me exactly why my children's education is worth so much less than that of a child from London? I expect not. This disparity is totally unfair and should be immediately tackled.

Name: Tanya Gasiorowski
Postcode: EX38 7JJ / Local school: Beaford Community Primary and Nursery

This is a typical example of beaurocracy and total ignorance of those in power - why should our kids be treated like 2nd class citizens? We already sufer from the stigma of being "backwards" as a county, nationally - and this just adds insult to injury, and doesnt give equal opportunity to our kids.

Name: Kath Howarth
Postcode: EX22 7DT / Local school: HOLSWORTHY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

As a former pupil of Okehampton College and with parents still living in the area, I was amazed and disgusted to read in the local newspaper that Devon receives the third lowest funding in education in the country. How can this be? I have moved to Surrey (for work) which is a far more prosperous area and yet receives more money per pupil. I am curious about how "disadvantage" has been measured. I would like to see a full published list of the education authorities with their funding in order to truly see what a nonsense it must be. Somehow the idyllic image of Devon with cows in fields and cream teas that is portrayed by the media has disguised that fact that the county suffers from low wages, high house prices, extortionate water rates, poor job prospects (I had to move away), high transport costs and no where near the facilities on offer in the cities. Its time that all children were treated fairly and received the same money for their education, no matter where they live in the country.

Name: Heather Nield
Postcode: KT2 5QF

This is a vitally important campaign and one which I support whole heartedly. Central Devon Conservatives will work closely wherever possible with Devon schools to ensure that their campaign is a great success. Good luck.

Mel Stride
Conservative parliamentary candidate Central Devon

Some difference in funding between schools to meet particular needs is understandable, but the current scale of variability in funding is discriminatory. Devon children deserve a better deal.

Name: Tim Jones
Postcode: PL19 0HH / Local school: St Rumon's and St Peter's Schools

I've seen the impact of lower budgets in the cuts of support staff in the school. I am calling for equality in funding. Every child matters is a phrase that I hear from time to time. Quite right, they do, so every child is entitled to the same funding. Plus extra for those kids with special needs.Maybe if goverment supported a strong family unit, there wouldn't be so much deprivation.

Name: Helen Roulson
Postcode: EX14 2UH / Local School: Littletown Primary Honiton

Devon's school students have been underfunded for decades. School governors in the 1960s were complaining about Devon being near the bottom. The chances are if you were educated by Devon County Council and are under retirement age you have been cheated. It has to stop.

Name: Gerrard Sables
Postcode: EX32 8NH

Heathcoat Primary School has a fresh and open approach to education that gives its' pupils a wide range of activities over and above the innovative methods it uses to teach the national curriculum. With a catchment area that covers a particularly deprived part of town Heathcoat Primary School still attracts pupils from many miles away because of the excellent teaching standard and creative approach to learning and deserves maximum funding for its' efforts.

Name: Sarah Lennox-Hilton
Postcode: EX16 5DH / Local School: Heathcoat Primary School, Tiverton