STRETFORD and Urmston MP Kate Green is leading the charge against the Government’s education catch-up plan.

Ms Green, who is also the Labour Party’s shadow education secretary, made a string of appearances on national television yesterday to express her opposition to the plan announced by the Department for Education.

The plan involves £1 billion of funding towards tuition for disadvantaged children, plus another £400 million towards teacher training.

But Ms Green told Sky News the programme does not go far enough.

She said: “I’m afraid it badly lets down our children and young people.

“It’s going to bring in some extra tutoring, it’s going to bring in some training for teachers.

“But we know that parents say that the most worrying concern that they have following the pandemic is their children’s emotional wellbeing, their ability to socialise with other children and their mental wellbeing.

“So it’s a very limited announcement, I’m afraid, that the Government is making and children and young people can’t really afford to wait for this Government to get a sensible package that will properly address children’s educational recovery and their wellbeing.”

Yesterday also saw the education recovery commissioner, Sir Kevan Collins, step down after only a few months in the role.

Sir Kevan had estimated £15 billion was needed to help children make up for lost time at school.

In a letter of resignation to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, he said: “The package of measures provides valuable support, including important investment in teaching quality and tutoring.

“However, I do not believe it is credible that a successful recovery can be achieved with a programme of support of this size.”

Ms Green said Sir Kevan’s resignation was a ‘damning indictment’ of the Government.

“He was brought in by Boris Johnson because of his experience and expertise in education, but the Government have thrown out his ideas as soon as it came to stumping up the money needed to deliver them,” she said.