RISHI'S campaign to win a better funding deal for rural schools arrived in Westminster this week.
The campaign, led in North Yorkshire by Richmond MP Rishi Sunak, handed in a petition signed by hundreds to No 10 toda.
Mr Sunak was accompanied to Downing Street by Charlotte Harper, headteacher of three schools in Upper Wensleydale, Askrigg, Bainbridge and West Burton, and three pupils.
The petition calls on the Government to introduce a new national funding formula to replace the existing arbitrary and unfair distribution method. Schools in North Yorkshire and rural areas elsewhere in the country receive hundreds of pounds less per pupil than urban authorities.
The MP gathered signatures for the petition at a street stall in Northallerton High Street.
Mr Sunak said: “Despite the appalling weather, we had a great response from the many people we spoke to and I’m grateful to them for taking the time to talk to us about this important issue.
“I believe the Government is listening to us about this fundamental unfairness in the way our schools are funded and I am hopeful of a positive move on the formula.”
The fairer funding campaign was launched in North Yorkshire last month at a forum of primary school headteachers and governers at Scotch Corner. At the forum, Mr Sunak explained that the current funding formula used by Government to distribute cash to schools was out of date and unfair.
It was based upon historic criteria that discriminated against rural areas, he said. There could be no justification for a formula which gave schools in Bradford and Middlesbrough about £400 per pupil more than North Yorkshire.
Many other MP representing rural constituencies are backing a national campaign on the issue. Last week, more than 30 MPs from both main parties called for the formula to be changed at a Westminster debate and 111 MPs have written to the Prime Minster about the issue.