Lib Dems slam £295,000 cut to Peter Symonds funding

4.47.22pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 15th Apr 2009

Liberal Democrat Prospective MP for Winchester, Martin Tod has slammed the decision of the Learning and Skills Council to cut £295,000 from Peter Symonds College in Winchester, only days after having promised the money. The cut came as a consequence of the LSC discovering a shortfall of £60 million in the budget for sixth form education after final figures had been sent out to colleges.

Mr Tod commented:

"The Government and the Learning and Skills Council have completely messed this up."

"Firstly there's the failure to provide enough money to pay for all the sixth form places around the county. And then there's the incompetent way the figures have been communicated to colleges. It's already bad enough that sixth form colleges are underfunded compared to school sixth forms and academies, but it is complete idiocy to be cutting funding for education as we go into a recession and youth unemployment is rising."

"The Government's pledge to provide a place for all 16 year olds that want one is in ruins."

"Peter Symonds offers a first class education and we should be supporting the young people who want to be educated there, not cutting back places."

Councillor Jackie Porter added:

"Sixth form colleges offer great value for public money and it's ludicrous for them to be cut back. We need to supporting people who want further and higher education, not cutting places. The Government needs to fix this, and fast."