PRESS RELEASE

1 July 2003

Council's promise to underwrite school deficits is too little too late says Ottaway

Commenting on Croydon Council's announcement that it will underwrite deficits in schools' budgets, Richard Ottaway, Conservative MP for Croydon South has said this measure is too little too late.

Following Coulsdon High School's advice to parents that it would have to reduce the teaching timetable, Croydon Council announced that it would underwrite a further increase in their deficit, as well as that of St Andrews and Coloma Convent, in order to ensure that children are not sent home early next term.

Richard Ottaway says:-

"Although this will be met with cautious optimism by the three schools in question, it does not address the root cause of the funding crisis which is insufficient funding from central government. With no guarantees of future funding, this announcement has raised a raft of additional questions about where this money is coming from. It also comes rather late in the school year."

"Furthermore, this decision will only affect three schools - there are at least 15 other schools in the Borough that will have to carry forward a deficit into the next financial year. I am particularly concerned that there seems to be no support for Woodcote High School which is also in a very difficult situation."

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