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Dave Thompson/PA Wire
UK News

Christian group concerned by 'super-size' school class figures

The Association of Christian Teachers has been reacting to new figures released by the Labour Party which show the number of children in classes with more than 30 pupils rose last year to 520,000.

Clive Ireson from the group told Premier there simply aren't enough schools and he also criticised the government's Free Schools Programme, claiming new schools aren't always being built where demand is highest.

Speaking on Premier Christian Radio's New Hour programme, he said:

"We just don't have enough schools.

"The increase in pupils is about 450,000 places being created since 2010.

"We've got such a pressure on those children entering our reception classes and it will happen again this year. 

"The more children we have in class, obviously, the less teacher time they get, but also the classrooms often aren't all that big and the more children, there's less room; less room in the playgrounds and less room in the hall for all these children who're being crammed into some schools.

"One of the problems is the government's programme of free schools and academies.

"Those ...are creating new schools but only three quarters of them are being created in areas where there's demand for places but, really, with limited money, we've got to build schools in the places where the children are. 

"We can't keep on going on like this.

"Three quarters in areas of high pressure is good but that means a whole load of schools and millions of pounds being spent on school places where there isn't pressure.

The government says free schools aren't run by local councils and they are funded by the government, and they have more autonomy.

Shadow education secretary Lucy Powell said: "The Government's obsession with free schools, at the expense of opening other types of school, has made it harder and harder to ensure there are enough school places everywhere.

"This approach is clearly not working for parents up and down the country, with the result that come national offer day, some families applying today will go straight on to a waiting list with no offer of any school place and soaring numbers of children will continue to be crammed into ever-expanding classes, as the only option left for many schools in many areas.

"The current system for planning new places is essentially broken.

"It is now time for the Tories to abandon their unjustified fixation with free schools, which are evidently not addressing the growing pressure on school places nor driving up standards, and once and for all, put the urgent need for sufficient good school places in every local area first."

A Conservative spokesman said:

"At the same time as pupil numbers were booming, the last Labour government cut funding for school places by £150 million, scrapping almost 200,000 places.

"So rather than trying to scare parents with misleading statistics, they should be backing the measures we've taken to clear up the mess they left behind

"Under the Conservatives, funding for basic need has been doubled, creating 500,000 more school places.

"On top of that, because of the difficult decisions we've taken elsewhere, we'll be able to invest £23 billion in school buildings over the course of this Parliament, creating hundreds of new schools."

Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, said:

"The need for more school places has been known over many years.

"A key duty of government is to ensure there are sufficient school places and enough qualified teachers. The Government has failed on both, thereby letting down children and parents.

"This situation could have been avoided by allowing councils to build schools in areas where additional school places are needed.

"The Government has poured money and resources into the wasteful and indulgent free schools programme, many opening in areas where there is no need, and many providing only a small number of places at vast cost.

"The Government must produce sufficient funding and powers for local authorities to open more schools as a matter of urgency."

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