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Labour is only party promising real educational improvements, new analysis reveals

LABOUR is the only party promising real improvements for schools, an analysis of all party manifestos revealed yesterday.

The National Education Union (NEU) has relaunched School Cuts, an interactive map showing the devastating impact of real-terms funding reductions on schools across England, to assess how the election of a Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat government would affect education funding.

Comparing the manifesto pledges of each party, the map shows that a Tory victory would leave schools with £2 billion less spending power in 2020-21 than in 2015-16.

Under the Lib Dems, schools will have the same real-terms funding in 2020-21 as in 2015-16, but their policies fail to address historic underfunding prior to that financial year.

However, Labour has pledged to reverse school cuts in the first year of government and introduce a “fairer funding formula that leaves no child worse off.”

As a result, schools will have £1.4 billion more spending power in 2020-21 than five years earlier.

NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said the relaunch of School Cuts “makes the choice very clear” for every parent, teacher, headteacher and member of school staff.

“Education was a vital issue in the 2017 election and is even more so in 2020,” he said.

“This election is about so much more than Brexit. If you value education, you must vote for education.”

Association of School and College Leaders general secretary Geoff Barton said that people “should have the facts” about how the pledges “add up on such an important matter” as the future of the education system.

Paul Whiteman, general  secretary of teaching union NAHT, noted that “there are clear differences between the main parties” when it comes to education funding.

He said: “No party should shy away from providing what is required, nor should they claim more ‘generosity’ than is really the case.

“When voters enter the polling booth next week, we hope they will all have education at the front of their minds.”

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner hailed the research as further evidence that Labour is the only party that will rebuild Britain’s education system after nearly a decade of Tory cuts.

Lib Dem shadow education secretary Layla Moran told the Star the party would stop Brexit in order to reverse school cuts next year.

The Conservative Party did not respond to the Star’s request for comment.

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