Children in Canterbury and Whitstable will benefit from schools plan

7.58.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 6th May 2009

Proposals from the Liberal Democrats for big improvements to schools and teaching will see around £55 million of extra cash for schools in Kent to boost the education and life chances of thousands of children says Guy Voizey, parliamentary spokesman for Canterbury and Whitstable Liberal Democrats.

The plans are part of a series of measures agreed by the Liberal Democrats at their most recent party conference. They call for raising standards in all local schools, closing the gap between children from rich and poor families and ending the era of Government meddling in education.

"These plans will make a big difference to young people in Canterbury and Whitstable," said Guy Voizey. "The extra money will pay to reduce infant class sizes to 15, to support those pupils with the highest needs, whichever school they are in, and for after school and Saturday classes, and extended school days.

"Every year, there's a fiasco over local school admissions at 11. For this reason, we think it's vital that every school is well-resourced and able to offer the education the young people deserve."

"Schools here in Canterbury and Whitstable need to be freed to teach children rather than spend their time obeying ministerial orders and trying to achieve government targets."

"The schools proposals put forward by the Liberal Democrats will go a long way towards ensuring that the many thousands of local children who go to local schools have at least as good a start in life as the small number who are educated privately."