This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/may/11/david-cameron-defends-michael-gove-free-schools

The article has changed 2 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
David Cameron defends Michael Gove in row over free schools funding David Cameron defends Michael Gove in row over free schools funding
(about 4 hours later)
David Cameron has been forced to defend Michael Gove in an increasingly bitter row with the Liberal Democrats, after it emerged the education secretary raided the budget for primary pupils to help pay for his free school programme.David Cameron has been forced to defend Michael Gove in an increasingly bitter row with the Liberal Democrats, after it emerged the education secretary raided the budget for primary pupils to help pay for his free school programme.
The revelation is an escalation of a spat between Gove and the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, with both sides accusing each other of wasting money on pet education projects.The revelation is an escalation of a spat between Gove and the Lib Dem leader, Nick Clegg, with both sides accusing each other of wasting money on pet education projects.
Over the weekend, a senior Lib Dem source branded Gove a "zealot" for transferring £400m from the basic need budget to plug a black hole in the free schools scheme. This came the day after emails leaked to the BBC showed Gove objected to the way Nick Clegg's £1bn free school meal policy was costed, and a senior education official warned in a letter to the Treasury that the government "must not risk forcing schools to subsidise meals by reducing their spending on teaching and learning". Over the weekend, a senior Lib Dem source branded Gove a "zealot" for transferring £400m from the basic need budget to plug a black hole in the free schools scheme. This came the day after emails leaked to the BBC showed Gove objected to the way Clegg's £1bn free school meal policy was costed, and a senior education official warned in a letter to the Treasury that the government "must not risk forcing schools to subsidise meals by reducing their spending on teaching and learning".
The row has been bubbling away for weeks after Dominic Cummings, a former adviser to Gove, launched a personal attack on the Lib Dem leader, saying he was a revolting and self-obsessed character who cared only about his image. He also accused the deputy prime minister of demanding "hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money" for his "latest absurd gimmick" whenever he gave a speech. The row has been bubbling away for weeks after Dominic Cummings, a former adviser to Gove, launched a personal attack on the Lib Dem leader, saying he was a revolting and self-obsessed character who cared only about his image.
Clegg replied saying Cummings had "obviously has anger-management issues" and hit back at "slightly loopy ideologues like him" in the Tory party who wanted to impose ideological experiments on the school system. He also accused the deputy prime minister of demanding "hundreds of millions of taxpayers' money" for his "latest absurd gimmick" whenever he gave a speech.
However, Cameron stepped in to defend Gove after the exchange of insults gave way to the series of leaks, marking one of the most serious public spats of the coalition so far. Clegg replied, saying Cummings had "obviously has anger-management issues" and hit back at "slightly loopy ideologues like him" in the Conservative party who wanted to impose ideological experiments on the school system.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, Cameron defended Gove's free schools policy, saying: "What the government is doing is spending £5bn in this parliament expanding the number of school places. Part of that is actually investing in free schools, most of which – in the primary schools – are in areas of high need, and they're providing good new school places for people inside the state sector. I think you should judge the government on its results in education where we've got better teachers going into teaching than ever before, we've got higher standards, we've got more apprentices being trained – we see real progress in our education system." However, the prime minister stepped in to defend Gove after the exchange of insults gave way to the series of leaks, marking one of the most serious public spats of the coalition so far.
Speaking on the BBC's Andrew Marr Show, the prime minister defended Gove's free schools policy, saying: "What the government is doing is spending £5bn in this parliament expanding the number of school places. Part of that is actually investing in free schools, most of which – in the primary schools – are in areas of high need, and they're providing good new school places for people inside the state sector.
"I think you should judge the government on its results in education where we've got better teachers going into teaching than ever before, we've got higher standards, we've got more apprentices being trained – we see real progress in our education system."
Labour said Gove's use of the money for free schools was "ideological vandalism" but the Lib Dems were equally to blame and could not seek to shift responsibility for the policy of free schools.Labour said Gove's use of the money for free schools was "ideological vandalism" but the Lib Dems were equally to blame and could not seek to shift responsibility for the policy of free schools.
Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said: "The free school programme had the Lib Dem stamp of approval from day one. There is a national crisis in primary school places of this government's making. Last year, the number of infant class sizes with more than 30 children doubled. This from a Tory party that promised smaller class sizes at the last general election.Tristram Hunt, the shadow education secretary, said: "The free school programme had the Lib Dem stamp of approval from day one. There is a national crisis in primary school places of this government's making. Last year, the number of infant class sizes with more than 30 children doubled. This from a Tory party that promised smaller class sizes at the last general election.
"Gove's decision to transfer this funding away from areas in need of new primary places into the free school programme is an act of ideological vandalism.""Gove's decision to transfer this funding away from areas in need of new primary places into the free school programme is an act of ideological vandalism."
A spokesman for Gove said it was wrong to suggest that the department had cut money for new places in areas of need to pay for free schools. A spokesman for Gove said it was wrong to suggest that the Department for Education had cut money for new places in areas of need in order to pay for free schools.
"These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true," the spokesman said."These claims pretend that money spent in free schools is not creating new places in areas of need. That is simply not true," the spokesman said.
"From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year. On top of this, investment in free schools will provide tens of thousands of new places in areas of need. Indeed, the vast majority of free schools – more than seven in 10 – are in areas with a shortage of places. This investment in free schools is entirely in addition to the rising basic need funding for councils which we announced in December."From 2015, funding to councils for new school places will rise by more than £200m a year. On top of this, investment in free schools will provide tens of thousands of new places in areas of need. Indeed, the vast majority of free schools – more than seven in 10 – are in areas with a shortage of places. This investment in free schools is entirely in addition to the rising basic need funding for councils which we announced in December.
"Free schools are hugely popular with parents and are more likely to receive top ratings from Ofsted than council-run schools. So it is absolutely right that, where they are needed, new places are created in free schools.""Free schools are hugely popular with parents and are more likely to receive top ratings from Ofsted than council-run schools. So it is absolutely right that, where they are needed, new places are created in free schools."