Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley today slammed “the Conservatives’ staggering mathematical incompetence” which will see schools in Sheffield lose almost £4million next year.

The Department for Education last month admitted to miscalculating the amounts of funding due to be granted to state schools in England next year, copping to a £370m error in the information they gave schools in July.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley, said:

“This latest costly mistake at the Department for Education will cause yet more pain for schools already struggling to balance budgets after years of uncertainty over long-term funding and this threatens to further weaken the relationship between local schools and families.

“This loss of funding also comes on top of one school in my constituency already being supported by Sheffield City Council to find funding to deal with crumbling concrete, which the government are yet to reimburse them for.

“This most recent blunder will further push schools into more hardship meaning that children’s education will suffer. It is no wonder that the relationship between families, schools and the government is at rock-bottom because education simply isn’t a priority for the Tories.

“Labour’s priority will be to put education at the heart of national life again, and to rebuild the trust between schools, families and government so that we can drive high and rising standards in our classrooms, supporting children to achieve and thrive.

“We will start by recruiting 6,500 more teachers and put mental health counsellors in every secondary school, paid for by ending private schools’ tax breaks.”