EDUCATION bosses are spearheading a new campaign to stop Bury being one of the worst-funded education authorities in the country.

Despite millions of pounds of extra cash from the Government over the past two years, the borough's schools still lag behind many of their counterparts.

The additional funds have helped to cut classroom numbers and bring about long-awaited building and classroom projects, but the council still argues that Bury is "short changed".

It argues that if it received the same funding as others, its schools could employ extra teachers, buy more books and computers and improve their buildings.

Bury has joined forces with representatives from the country's 40 worst-funded county education authorities to fight for a fairer financial deal.

Councillors, education officials, parents, governors and teachers took part in the recent Fair Funding seminar at Staffordshire University. Coun Andrea Hughes, chairman of Bury Lifelong Learning, said: "Things have improved significantly over the past couple of years but that has not helped alleviate all the problems caused by years of gross under-funding.

"Our schools have had to pay the price for too long and we want that situation to change - and change now."

For example, Kensington and Chelsea receives £3, 315 per primary school pupil and £4,262 per secondary school pupil. Bury gets just £2,198 and £2,798, respectively.

This represents a difference of more than £1.3 million for a 900-place secondary school, which could fund extra teachers, support staff and much-needed resources.

Coun Hughes said: "The simple truth is that schools in under-funded areas such as Bury cannot buy the books, computers and other essential items needed to meet the demands of a broad and well-balanced curriculum, let alone improve staffing ratios.

"We believe it is time that the inequalities in the funding system for those councils at the bottom of the table are dealt with. We say our schools need extra cash and they need it now."

Along with other members of the seminar, she is calling for a new fair funding system with a nationally set minimum level for all pupils and a funding floor below which no education authority should fall.

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