Teaching unions welcome Labour's school pledge

Teaching unions have urged opposition parties to match new Labour's stance on education after Schools Secretary Ed Balls promised three years of growth for the schools budget.
Speaking on GMTV, Mr Balls guaranteed annual education spending increases of 0.7 per cent "every year, year on year, this year, next year and the year after."
He also highlighted the Conservatives' intention to "cut education this year and next," adding "the reason is that they have got different priorities.
"They want to have an inheritance tax cut which goes to millionaires, which would mean that they could not match us on education spending," he said.
Teaching unions applauded the guarantee in spite of the recessionary drive to make massive savings throughout the public sector.
NASUWT general secretary Chris Keates said: "I welcome the fact that education remains a top priority for the government."
Deputy general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers Martin Johnson called on other political parties to "make similar commitments to our children's future."
As part of the increased budget from September 2011 all key stage one pupils (ages six to seven) struggling with literacy and numeracy would be guaranteed extra tuition.
The NUT said the pledge was "impressive" in the current financial climate, but general secretary Christine Blower also expressed disappointment that the tuition would continue to be "fatally hitched to tests, targets and performance tables."
And Ms Keates warned NASUWT would remain vigilant that the programme did not lead to "pressurising teachers or school staff to do this as an unpaid, voluntary activity."

Story by Lizzie Cocker.