Manchester Labour's Education Authority "Worst in Country"

12.00.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 12th Jan 2007

"Poor results and the worst truancy" - Lib Dem Cllr Alison Firth calls for Action to Improve Manchester's Failing Education Department

"Manchester's Education system is in crisis following poor results and the worst absence rate in the country ," says Withington Councillor Alison Firth, Liberal Democrat Education Spokesperson for the city and a former Primary School teacher.

Figures published by the Government in January 2007 show that Manchester is one of the five worst performing areas in the country when measured by the proportion of pupils who have achieved at least 5 GCSEs at grades A* to C including English and Maths. Manchester is ranked 145th out of 148 mainland English local education authority areas by this key test. The figures also show Manchester has the highest proportion of school time lost due to unauthorised absence of any local authority in the country.

Cllr Firth said:

"These figures are shocking and deeply worrying for parents across Manchester. Tables of school GCSE results do not show the whole picture of educational attainment in the city, but I am very concerned to see Manchester ranked below most other major cities across the country when looking at GCSEs attained by pupils including in core subjects such as English and Maths."

Cllr Firth concluded:

"Manchester's Labour Education Authority has been hit by one shambles after another lately. Senior officials have come and gone, there have been well publicised difficulties at Whalley Range High School and we've seen long delays in producing Manchester's Education Plan which is intended to release new money into school budgets."

"Manchester's education system is in chaos. I will be working with John Leech MP, as well as Manchester 33 Liberal Democrat Councillors, to call on Labour Town Hall Education bosses to get a grip of this situation and to offer more effective support to our local schools."

End

Appendices:

1) A July 2006 Manchester Council report on "Improving the Education Service" states that:

• Manchester Education Partnership is unable to demonstrate how it delivers value for money in the use of resources.

• Manchester invests significant financial resources in Education compared to similar authorities but there is a poor link between this and outcomes.

• Far more funding is held for local authority delivery in Manchester than in many other authorities but that additional funding is not clearly delivering improved outcomes.

2) Manchester's 2006 Corporate Assessment from the independent Audit Commission found that:

"Children and young people in Manchester remain less healthy and generally achieve less well in schools than in other parts of the country" (paragraph 86)

"Unemployment still remains significantly above the regional and national average" (paragraph 90)

"Health outcomes in Manchester are currently amongst the worst in the country" (paragraph 106)

"Manchester still has the lowest life expectancy in England for men and equal lowest for women" (paragraph 107)