15th October 2006
LABOUR politics is working on the ground - where it matters - a key seat candidate claimed today.
Sophie Howe, Labour's Assembly candidate in Cardiff North, said that Labour's extra investment in raising standards in schools was already beginning to show signs of working in the classroom.
In the March Westminster Budget, Gordon Brown announced an extra £13m would be made available for the National Assembly. And two weeks later Rhodri Morgan's Assembly Government announced that it would be used to tackle school under-achievement in Wales' poorest areas. A new RAISE (Raising Attainment and Individual Standards in Wales) budget of 16m was created, using £3m already allocated by the Assembly Government. The plans were opposed by opposition parties.
But mum-of-three Sophie, who has two children of school age, struck back today saying that a month on from the beginning of the school term, the money was making an impact.
SOPHIE HOWE said:
"There is nothing more important to parents in Wales than how their children are performing in school. As a mum of three myself I understand that parents are worried about school standards and want their children to receive the very best teaching support. And it is the duty of politicians to address these concerns by delivering for every child in Wales.
"As a Labour politician I believe it is unacceptable that a child should perform poorly in school, not because of a lack of ability, but because they have the misfortune of being born into poverty. We must eradicate the spiral of decline that originates from poor results early in school and continues through to later life, damaging that individual's chances of building a constructive career, even of dealing with the everyday emotional challenges of life. Poverty as expressed through poor literacy and numeracy is the beginning of a vicious cycle of poverty more generally, with crime and ill health the results later in life.
"Poverty is a blight and shame on out entire society. That is why I was so pleased when the Labour Assembly Government announced in April that it would invest the bulk of the extra money allocated for Wales by Gordon Brown on targeting poor standards in our poorest areas.
"Now, a month on from the beginnings of this funding in the classroom, the results are already apparent. In my home area and the seat I am contesting in next year's election, Cardiff North, we have three schools who receive this funding. New staff and classroom assistants have been employed. Those children who are falling behind in their work are receiving much more focused attention to improve their standards. I know from colleagues and friends across Wales that this money is working on the groun elsewhere too. In fat 614 primary, secondary and special needs schools are taking advantage of the extra funding.
"This kind of concentrated attack on poverty as a cause of poor standards in schools just would not have been possible without the brave decision of our Assembly Government to target the money at those who needed it the most. The basic aim of targeting poverty would have been lost in the system, its relevance filtered out.
"Had the money been distributed equally amongst all schools, each would have received only around £7,000. Had the money simply been divided amongst all children eligible for free school meals then each would only have received the equivalent of just £156 a head. I could not have looked local teachers and children in the eye knowing that we had missed an opportunity to help break the link between poverty and poor standards.
"Labour is not in the business of playing with poverty. It is in the business of eradicating it.
"There is a tendency at the moment for people and sections of the media to shrug away politics as a concept. Politicians are too often seen as self-serving or simply in it for the money. I say to those people that here is an example of Labour politics in action, working on the ground. Two weeks after out Iron Chancellor stood up in the Houses of Parliament to announce this extra cash, Rhodri made a key spending decision. Fast forward five months and children in Gabalfa are receiving extra help to boost their standards. Labour politics works.
"I was saddened at the time of the original announcement that opposition parties argued the money should have been made to go further. Now, a month on from the beginning of term I hope Plaid Cymru and the Tories have changed their minds. I hope their politicians have taken the time to visit schools which have benefited from the RAISE fund. I hope they will display the same political courage as Rhodri Morgan, Jane Davidson and the rest of the Assembly Cabinet and back their ambition to smash poverty and all of its abhorrent consequences."
ENDS
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