BEACONSFIELD MP Dominic Grieve writes exclusively for Bucks Free Press readers on the importance of education in the recent budget.

It is always good to see national recognition for local achievements.

When the journalist Camilla Swift wrote, in the Spectator magazine on March 12: “Parents fight tooth and claw to make sure that their house is in the right catchment area to get into Buckinghamshire’s excellent state schools”, I probably would not have chosen to phrase the first part of the sentence in that way, but I certainly endorse the final four words.

We tend to take it as a given that parents want the best for their children and look for schools which will allow them to reach their fullest potential, teaching them the skills they will need throughout the rest of their lives. I would say this is the norm in Buckinghamshire, but I am well aware that in other areas there are parents who don’t set such store by education and that is deeply disappointing.

The Budget last month put education at the heart of government provision. It might not be usual to talk about school hours, or schools becoming academies, during a Budget speech. Education, though, provides the skills which will help our economy grow and develop.

When teachers are working hard to make sure that pupils meet their potential, they need resources and they also need to know that there is equality of funding available. A fair national funding formula for our schools is imperative. The government plans to introduce this for schools from 2017-18.

The day after the Budget, the Education Secretary published a White Paper on education, setting out plans to give schools, school leaders and educational professionals the power, incentives and accountability, so that every child can have an excellent education.