Conservative incompetence locally and savage cuts nationally mean schools in Dudley miss out.

Dudley North MP Ian Austin has blasted the new government and Dudley Council for the failure to secure funding to rebuild the Borough’s secondary schools.

Austin spoke out after schools in Dudley were told that there will be no chance for them to get funding through the programme as it is to be scrapped by the Coalition government.

Austin recently asked the Schools Secretary Michael Gove a series of questions on the future of education in Dudley including what plans he has for schools in Dudley to be included in the Building Schools for the Future Programme, how many schools in Dudley have applied for academy status and what the Government ' s plans are to increase the number of 16 and 17 year olds starting and completing apprenticeships in Dudley.

Austin also asked Mr Gove how he plans to deal with local authorities like Dudley who have consistently refused to take part in the Government’s academy programme.

Ian Austin MP said:

“The failure of the councillors running Dudley's schools to get their act together and the Government's cutbacks mean there is now chance of getting the funds we need to rebuild Dudley's schools.

For years I have called on Dudley Council to get its act together and produce a decent bid to join the Building Schools for the Future programme.  After several half hearted attempts by the local conservative controlled authority we are now left without a hope of getting the investment we need.”

“The only way we will attract the high tech jobs of the future to Dudley is by showing employers we have the skills and the workforce they need.  That is why I have led the campaign to get Dudley a University campus, called repeatedly for the Council to join the academies scheme and take Building Schools for the Future seriously.”

“Dudley left itself out of educational improvements when the previous Government was investing record amounts and didn’t support the local schools that wanted to become academies. 

“The future of local children and our town is on the line, Dudley needs to do more.  I will make it my number one priority to make sure that the council cannot continue to neglect educational improvement in our town.”