THE Tories have slashed funding for education by more than £7 billion over the course of their government, House of Commons analysis for Labour revealed today.

Total education spending, including spending on schools and colleges, has fallen in real terms since 2010-11 from £95.5bn in 2011-12 to £87.8bn in 2017-18.

Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: “This will come as no surprise to teachers who are having to make do with less and parents who are receiving begging letters from schools to cover basic supplies.

“Despite misleading statements made by the Prime Minister and her ministers, the government’s own data shows that they have been slashing education funding throughout their time in office.

“It will be a generation of children and adult learners who will pay the price for Tory austerity.”

The analysis follows a dispute between the Department for Education and the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) over funding claims.

PM Theresa May said that spending on schools is at a record high this year and Education Secretary Damian Hinds claimed that schools have “more money than ever before in the history of the country.”

In October, the UKSA raised “serious concerns about the [DfE’s] presentation and use of statistics” in a letter to Mr Hinds.

UKSA chairman Sir David Norgrove said he was concerned that “figures were presented in such a way as to misrepresent changes in school funding.”

National Education Union joint general secretary Kevin Courtney told the Star: “It is pointless pretending that real-terms cuts to funding are not impacting on our schools and colleges when the evidence is there for all to see.

“A lack of funding is having a devastating impact on school and pupils. It is absolutely incumbent upon government to ensure that schools receive the funding they need.”