Commenting on the Liberal Democrats proposals to put £2.5 billion additional funding into schools Christine Blower, General Secretary of the National Union of Teachers, the largest teachers' union said;
"The Liberal Democrats are right to focus their education proposals on responding to and meeting the educational needs of the poorest children. Cutting class sizes to 20 and providing one to one tuition can radically help in creating a level playing field for all children regardless of their background and is fundamental to tackling deep rooted disadvantage.
"Both the Government's and the Conservative opposition's educational funding commitments on tackling disadvantage triggered by poverty must be as unequivocal as that of the Liberal Democrats.
"It is vital, however, that the Liberal Democrats do not see the Pupil Premium as anything other than a mechanism for targeting need. Ideas about vouchers trailed by some of the more extreme think tanks have nothing to do with the Pupil Premium".