Sir – I would like to add congratulations from Lib Dem councillors to all pupils and students in Oxfordshire for their achievements in the tests and examinations they took this summer.

We are delighted to see that education establishments across Oxfordshire appear to be building a better outcome for the young people of the county, both in the primary and secondary sectors and the further education colleges.

These results also could not have been achieved without the hard work of teachers and other staff that work in schools, who I would also like to thank. I was disappointed to see that the Chief Inspector, Sir Michael Wilshaw, did not recognise this hard work in his recent press interview, instead blaming schools for a lack of discipline.

However, I know that the achievements across the county have been a challenge, not least because Oxfordshire remains one of the lowest funded authorities in the country.

I was very disappointed that the Conservative Government effectively shelved the work on a national funding formula for schools undertaken by the coalition.

This means it will now be many years before the Conservative Government recognises the need for adequate funding for Oxfordshire schools and colleges and they will remain under-funded.

The cuts to 16-19 funding are a particular blow, as this is where many young people develop the vocational skills necessary for the workplace. It does not make sense to cut this budget.

John Howson
Lib Dem education spokesman
Oxfordshire County Council