While Brexit has certainly dominated the headlines, education, from nurseries to universities, is shaping up to be a key election battleground. Education correspondent Lauren Cope reports.

Eastern Daily Press: A school lunch. Photo: Bill SmithA school lunch. Photo: Bill Smith (Image: Archant � 2013)

Funding

For schools and colleges, much of the education debate centres on one problem: Funding.

Primaries, secondaries and post-16 centres are short on cash, faced with rising costs, more pupils and less grant help, with experts putting the average school budget shortfall at about 8pc.

High-profile campaigns have thrust the issue into the spotlight - and politicians have cottoned on to an easy win, pledging billions of pounds of investment in the education system.

The Conservatives have promised £4bn by 2022, Labour £25bn - £4.8bn in additional revenue funding and another £21bn on building and maintaining schools - and the Liberal Democrats £7bn over the next parliament.

Politicians say the investments are, in part, to ensure schools don't lose out under the proposed national funding formula - a government shake up to the way schools are funded, which will see almost as many schools lose out as benefit.

Eastern Daily Press: Peter Devonish, head of Dereham Neatherd High School.Peter Devonish, head of Dereham Neatherd High School. (Image: Archant)

And after schools urged parents to petition their MPs over the concerns, the multi-billion promises would suggest politicians are listening.

But Brian Conway, headteacher at Norwich's Notre Dame High School, said he remained unconvinced.

'The concern that myself and other head teachers have is when you look at the challenges the country is facing, including Brexit, where we need to be economically successful, we need to have well-educated and prepared young people to make sure we are successful going forward - and that comes from investment in education,' he said.

'All the parties have promised more, the Conservatives have said a little bit more, which is hopeful if they recognise there is an issue, while Labour and the Lib Dems have promised substantially more.

'I would be interested to see where that money would actually come from. But, either way, it actually needs to happen - and I'm still not convinced we are top of the agenda.'

It was echoed by Peter Devonish, head at Dereham Neatherd High School, who said schools were faced with 'extraordinary' extra costs.

Eastern Daily Press: A exam in progress. Picture: David Davies/PA WireA exam in progress. Picture: David Davies/PA Wire

As a school set to benefit from the funding formula - with a budget uplift of about 4.6pc - he hopes to see negotiations over its finer points develop.

But, he said, the formula should move away from a city-centric approach.

'Though we are in a rural market town,' he said, 'we still have deprivation, we still have kids coming to school without breakfast. Rural areas should not be left behind cities anymore.'

Stuart Rimmer, principal of East Coast College, said: 'There is a funding formula for schools up to the age of 16 - that drops by about 25pc from 16 to 19. While we welcome rising participation, the funding does not follow.'

Grammar schools

Ending the ban on grammar schools has been a divisive policy since it was revealed last autumn.

It has drawn criticism from heads, unions and politicians for benefitting the minority and widening the social mobility divide.

Those in favour, though, say it offers more choice, a competitive education market and provide excellent teaching.

Mr Devonish said grammar schools were a 'side show' to more severe funding concerns.

'In times of desperate need and lack of money, focusing on grammar schools, which will benefit the few, rather than focusing on funding, is wrong,' he said.

The region, with a handful of areas with particularly poor social mobility, has been identified as one which may see one of the first grammar schools.

Free school meals

While Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has promised free school meals for all primary children, the prime minister has opted to focus on the morning meal.

The Conservative manifesto pledges to replace existing universal school lunches for infant pupils - aged five, six and seven - with breakfasts for all primary pupils instead.

Initially, the party said it would bring the policy cost down from £600m to £60m - but this has been thrown into doubt after analysis suggested it had set aside just 7p per meal.

On Thursday, there was mounting speculation that Mrs May would be forced to rethink the policy.

Tuition fees

When university tuition fees were introduced in 1998, it became a defining policy for Tony Blair's Labour.

And the trebling of fees to £9,000 under the 2010 coalition is a criticism that the Liberal Democrats, who had pledged to scrap them, still face today.

As the 2017 snap election nears, debate over tuition fees has resurfaced.

While Labour and the Greens would scrap tuition fees entirely, UKIP would only do so for students of STEM subjects and medicine.

But Tim Farron's Liberal Democrats have ruled out the move - claiming it is not affordable.

Former leader Nick Clegg has said in the national press that it is 'the wrong choice now'.

Along with Labour and UKIP, Liberal Democrats would, though, restore maintenance grants, which were scrapped in 2015.

Under a Conservative government, university fees would continue to rise, with legislation passed in April to see them increase in line with inflation until 2020.

Manifestos: At a glance

Conservatives

Increase overall schools budget by £4bn by 2022, build at least 100 new free schools, end the ban on grammar schools and no new places at schools rated inadequate or requires improvement by Ofsed. A free breakfast for primary pupils - but no universal infant free school meals.

Labour

Create a national education system, with a £25bn funding package. Free school meals for primary schoolchildren and class sizes with fewer than 30 five, six and seven-year-olds. Abolish university tuition fees and reintroduce maintenance grants (both costed in the £25bn). Restore the education maintenance grant (EMA) in further education.

Liberal Democrats

Invest £7bn extra in education over five years, introduce a package to reverse cuts to frontline budgets, treble the early years pupil premium and scrap rule that all new state-funded schools must be academies. Reinstate maintenance grants for university students.

Green

Scrap tuition fees and write off existing student debt. Bring academies and free schools into local authority control and reinstate EMA.

UKIP

Restore university maintenance grants for poorest pupils and abolish tuition fees for pupils studying science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine subjects.