A POLITICIAN has written to school governors across County Durham to share her concerns about funding for education.

Councillor Olwyn Gunn, Durham County Council’s cabinet member for children and young people’s services, wrote to update school governors on “funding difficulties”, which she said was a result of real term cuts from Government.

She said: “Key decisions on education provision are often based upon funding and across our county all of us, as governors, are having to take those decisions against a background of significant real terms cuts. As you know these cuts are not made by Durham County Council nor are they driven by Durham County Council. They are in fact the result of the Government’s lack of investment in schools and academies across the country.”

She adds if Government funding had kept pace with inflation since 2009/10, the school funding formula would be 15 per cent higher, the equivalent of £46m for the county.

Cllr Gunn, a governor at Hunwick and Willington primary schools, added: “Governors, staff, pupils and parents are doing a great job and have this year helped us achieve some of our best ever results. I am very grateful for their time and commitment but it is important we recognise the constraints that many are working under.”