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A campaign seeking the support of schools and parents, to achieve fairer funding for education in Poole, has been launched by the Borough of Poole.

Currently the sixth lowest funded Local Education Authority (LEA) in the country, this year Poole received £1301 less per primary pupil and £1681 per secondary pupil than the highest funded LEA in the country.

The Government is consulting on proposals for a new system of funding for schools and Local Education Authorities. Due to be in place by April 2003, the deadline for comments on the draft proposals is 30 September this year.

To help improve Poole’s position, the Council is working with the 39 other lowest funded LEAs as part of the f40 Group which seeks the support of schools, parents and governors in lobbying for more funding. With the active support of many MP’s the group has already met Ministers responsible for the implementation of the proposed new funding system and hopes to make a difference.

Parents and schools are being urged to join the fight and information packs have been issued to schools with information on how to write in pledging their support for fair funding.

Councillor Brian Clements, Leader of the Council, said: "It is important that we work with other low funded authorities to achieve a fairer funding system for our pupils. I would urge schools and parents to read the information being sent to them and write to the Government supporting our campaign. This is an issue on which all the political parties in Poole are at one. We have been arguing for years that these differentials are unjustifiable. If, for example, this Council were to receive average funding, Poole schools would be £6 million better off every year."

Of the four new funding options being offered by the Government, two would actually make Poole’s relative funding position even worse than it is currently, resulting in a loss of £1.2 million per year, or approximately £50 - £55 per pupil.

Ashley Pellegrini, Headteacher of Ashdown School, said: "For many years, I have had to explain to parents that Poole is one of the worst funded education authorities in the country. They cannot understand why their children are worth less than those in Hampshire. Fair funding gives my students a chance to start from the same baseline as others of their age. It can only help to raise standards further."

Kevin Manley, Acting Chief Education Officer for the Borough, said: "Fair long term funding to support our schools and pupils is paramount. This fair funding campaign is about securing sustainable and improved levels of funding for education in Poole in the future. If it is successful we all benefit from the long term investment in our young people."

This year Poole received £2,193 per primary pupil and £2,806 per secondary pupil. The highest funded LEA receives £3,494 and £4,487 and the average funded authority gets £2,471 and £3,139 respectively.