Topical question asked in the House of Commons, by Munira Wilson (Liberal Democrat). It was answered on Monday, 17 July 2023 on behalf of the Department for Education.

Topical Questions

Question: The chairs of the governing bodies of 19 primary and secondary schools across the London Boroughs of Richmond and Kingston upon Thames have today written to the Education Secretary, requesting an urgent meeting to discuss the crippling funding and recruitment challenges they face. Will she agree to meet them?

Answer: Of course the Secretary of State will agree, as she has just said to me. We are spending record amounts of funding on schools. The Secretary of State achieved an extra £2 billion in the autumn statement last year and we are now spending £59.6 billion on school funding. We have recruited 2,800 more teachers this year than last year and we have a record number of teachers in the profession, at 468,000, but of course I am happy to talk to the hon. Lady and the teachers in her constituency to discuss their particular concerns.

Secondary information

Type: Oral question
Reference: 736 c620
Session: 2022-23
Oral question type: Supplementary
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Subjects: Finance Recruitment Schools Richmond upon Thames Kingston upon Thames
Link: View this Topical question on hansard.parliament.uk