A council boss has called on Welsh Government to reverse its decision to cut funding he believes would “disproportionately” impact gypsy and ethnic minority learners.

In a letter – (see attached) obtained by Welsh Conservatives via a freedom of information request – the leader of Swansea Council Cllr Rob Stewart writes to the Cabinet Secretary of Education Kirsty Williams expressing his concerns over the removal of the Education Improvement Grant (EIG), worth some £22m to local authorities over two years.

Research shows that Gypsy, Roma and Traveller children have the lowest attainment rates of any ethnic group in Wales. The EIG is designed to support their learning and raise attainment.

Under plans announced by Welsh Government in draft budget, the money ring-fenced for EIG will be removed in 2018/19 (accounting for some £13m) and made available to local authorities through the Revenue Support Grant (RSG) - a funding stream which accounts for 80% of all local authority spending.

But Mr Stewart accuses the Welsh Government of “unequivocally [removing] the [EIG] grant with no recompense in cash in the RSG.”

Following complaints from other councils bosses that their share of the EIG has not been factored into the RSG, leaving a funding shortfall, Ms Williams has responded by pledging the WLGA £5m from school budget reserves.

In a letter to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, Ms Williams states that the reserve money will allocated to Cardiff, Newport and Swansea local authorities to “alleviate the impact” on learners within these local authorities.

But Welsh Conservatives can reveal that at least two other local authorities – Powys and Vale of Glamorgan (letter attached) – are also concerned about the impact of these cuts on gypsy and ethnic minority learners, with questions remaining over where the money originally allocated for EIG has gone, and what effect the cuts will have on services.

During Plenary today, Darren Millar AM - Welsh Conservative Shadow Education Secretary – challenged Ms Williams over these cuts:

“Today the Cabinet Secretary conceded that these cuts have put Wales’ lowest achievers at an even bigger disadvantage.

“Gypsies and ethnic minority learners can be found in local authorities across Wales, so it is baffling as to why Kirsty Williams has deemed it acceptable to make up for her cuts by extending financial support to just three local authorities in South Wales.

“These cuts must be reversed and local authorities the length and breadth of Wales must all be reimbursed for the money they’ve lost so that services can continue to support the educational needs of our pupils.”

Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Welsh Conservative Shadow Secretary for Local Government, said:

“Councils are by law required to maintain a balanced budget. Unless resolved, these cuts will mean that councils will have to cut other vital services in order to make up for the deficit in their revenue support grants.

“I am very concerned that a number of other grants which have also been amalgamated into the revenue support grant will also be absorbed in a similar fashion, leaving local authorities even worse off after years of sustained Welsh Government cuts to their budgets.”