SIR - Re Worcestershire school funding. Mike Foster said: "A real terms increase of 32 per cent in 10 years - funding has been transformed since 1997," (Worcester News, December 27).
A real terms increase of 32 per cent is nationally the seventh lowest increase over 10 years (1997-2007) out of a total of 149 local education authorities. Out of the remaining six LEAs below us on the funding table, in percentage increase terms, only one LEA (Poole) has had an increase worth less in money terms.
Of the others below us, though having received a smaller percentage increase than us, they actually have received both a bigger monetary increase and final per pupil annual amount, as they all had a larger amount of base funding to begin with.
The LEA with the lowest percentage increase in the country over the last 10 years actually receives £70 per year per child in school funding more than a child in Worcestershire, and the LEA with the third lowest increase in the entire country, with an apparent "lowly" percentage increase of 30.1 per cent, actually receives a whopping £610 per child per year more than any child of ours!
The top percentage increase is 54.6 per cent (an extra £1,620 per child per year since 1997, for every child in lucky Middlesbrough), and the top per pupil per year cash award increase of £2,040 (46.3 per cent) goes to Tower Hamlets.
That certainly puts Worcestershire's 32.2 per cent or £900 increase in the shade doesn't it, Mike?
Whichever way you look at it, Worcestershire always comes at the bottom of the heap.
HELEN DONOVAN, Evesham.
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