EDUCATION, education, education — an election line that will stay in the memory for many more years to come.

And while there is no such pithy soundbite to go with the discussion on schools this time around, the issue is no less important to voters.

That is perhaps more true in Swindon this year than in previous elections. With the unprecedented intervention of Ofsted in 2016 still fresh in the memory, voters in the town want to know what the candidates will do to right the ship.

In this, our second policy special of the week, we asked the men and women looking for your vote to outline their views on the future for our schools.

At the core of any discussion on education is funding.

Theresa May has argued that “the level of funding going into schools is at record levels.”

But teaching unions have launched a high profile campaign in recent months arguing that while dedicated schools grants may well be being maintained in cash terms — the hit is coming when one looks at what that means for real terms per pupil spending.

As ever with debates around funding, it all comes down to how you interpret the numbers.

Away from the balance sheet, another issue which divides the parties coming into this election is that of selective education.

The Conservatives and UKIP want to remove the ban on new grammar schools while Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens would see it stay in place.

While Swindon doesn’t have any stand alone grammar schools, there is a grammar stream at Swindon Academy which has performed well since its introduction, generating high levels of interest around availability of places and entrance requirements.

Is that a sign that some parents would like to at least have the option of selective education for their children? The voters will decide.

Another area where the parties are split in their approach is on school meals. The Conservatives have pledged to provide free breakfasts for all primary school children in place of their previous policy which saw all infants receive free lunches.

School nutrition groups have questioned the numbers behind the policy.

Labour and the Lib Dems have dubbed the PM the ‘lunch snatcher’ and have said they will provide free school lunches to all primary school pupils.

But what about breakfast? At best their plans pledge support for breakfast clubs, but not a promise to provide the meals themselves as the Tories propose.

After meals and money, some of our candidates turn their attention to marks with promises to scrap SATs testing for younger age brackets and give teachers more time to focus on teaching, not testing.

Money, marks and meals — see what the candidates have to say below.

NORTH SWINDON

JUSTIN TOMLINSON (Conservative)

"I am passionate about making sure all young people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential regardless of background.

"We have promised a £4bn increase in funding for education and in Swindon we have already seen an additional £4.3m per year to Swindon schools thanks to our new fairer funding formula.

"We have also secured four brand new free schools, opposed by Labour. 

"Our ambitious plans to support young people have seen over 10,000 begin an apprenticeship and every young adult offered a place on our National Citizen Service, both helping youth unemployment in Swindon fall by a staggering 61 per cent.

"We are determined to continue investing in our future generations."

MARK DEMPSEY (Labour)

"Labour will invest in education so we can unlock the opportunity of every pupil.

"The Tories cuts are starving schools of the funding they need with Swindon schools set to lose £11m by 2019, the equivalent of 316 teachers.

"Ofsted have said under the Tories, Swindon’s education system is “failing at all levels”; and that 50 per cent of our local secondary schools are not meeting the required national standards.  

"Labour will invest an extra £6bn so that we can cut class sizes for 5, 6 and 7 year olds; and will introduce free school meals for all primary school children."

LIZ WEBSTER (Liberal Democrats)

"Ten years ago my son was the victim of a hammer attack at The Ridgeway School. It was eventually established there were failures at every level of the Swindon schools system.

"Little has improved; Ofsted took the unprecedented step of exposing to every parent the dreadful state of our schools.

"Swindon schools are amongst some of the most underfunded in Britain yet the Conservatives are imposing further cuts. 

"The Lib Dems will provide the investment our schools and colleges so desperately need by increasing the corporation tax‎ for large companies by two per cent.

"I will fight to secure proper funding for our local schools and colleges to safeguard teachers’ jobs, and our children’s future.

"The Tories declare they will provide strong and stable government. In the last two years they promised to turn every school into an academy and under public pressure they U turned.

"On their proposal to replace the Lib Dem policy of free school lunches with cheaper free breakfasts, they got their sums so wrong, they only budget 7p for each meal.

"Talk about the Conservatives of chaos.  The lady is not just for turning, she’s spinning out of control. Don’t you long for the days when the Liberal Democrats brought stability to government?"

ANDY BENTLEY (Green Party)

"I believe in an inspiring education system that transforms lives and transforms Britain.

"Since 2015 £2.2bn has been taken out of the education system and between now and 2020 this government plans to take out a further £3bn. That’s over £1000 for every pupil.

"First and foremost, we must make up for the enormous shortfall of investment in our schools. Greens will increase and protect real-term spending on our schools so that they are properly funded and staffed.

"We would reduce class sizes, with a long-term goal of 20 pupils per class at both primary and secondary level

"We will scrap SATs so that pupils are no longer subjected to pointless, pressurised testing. Studies show that they do not lead to better results for individual students, but all parents know of the stress they cause for both children and parents.

"And we will return academies to local authority control, so our children’s education is in the hands of teachers and parents, not businesses. The evidence shows that academies do not improve performance, they are simply privatisation by the back door.

"We will scrap university tuition fees, fund full student grants, and make greater public investment in further and higher education."

STEVE HALDEN (UKIP)

"Grammar school educated Prime Ministers include Edward Heath, Margaret Thatcher, John Major and Theresa May.

"Grammar schools increase social mobility and UKIP want a Grammar school in every town.

"Schools are being overwhelmed by increasing demand. The young generation are the flower of the nation. We must help them made a good start in life.

"A salubrious environment is a basic requirement. A good school should be a pleasant place to study.

"We must spent more on schools. UKIP believe that tuition fees should be abolished and UKIP would immediately restore maintenance grants to help the poorest students."

SOUTH SWINDON

ROBERT BUCKLAND (Conservative)

"The Conservatives’ education reforms will give millions of young people the best possible start in life. We will ensure this by:

"Protecting the Pupil Premium and increasing the overall schools budget by £4bn by 2022, representing more than a real terms increase for every year of the Parliament.

"Providing free school breakfasts for every child in every year of primary school.

"Ensuring young people get a world class technical education and helping to create three million more quality apprenticeship places by 2020.

"Providing more good school places, ending the ban on selective education and asking universities and independent schools to help run state schools."

SARAH CHURCH (Labour)

"From Early Years onwards, our children deserve the very best education we can offer.

"Real terms funding cuts per pupil are driving teaching staff redundancies in Swindon at a time when we are seeing increased demand for school places.

"The new funding formula for schools offers less for every school, and one-off cash injections to the Dedicated Schools Grant are just a sticking plaster.

"Across Swindon’s schools, the average real terms drop in funding per pupil is £401 by 2020.

"Labour will increase per pupil funding in line with inflation so schools can keep up with rising costs and staff can continue to teach our children to the highest standards.

"Our most productive investment is made in our children who are the business leaders, specialists and professionals of the future.

"There can be no cutting corners in education funding, so Labour is committed to developing a National Education Service offering education and skills training through life that is affordable and accessible to all.

"Labour will properly fund Early Years, will invest in 16-19 year olds and scrap university tuition fees.

"Labour will reduce class sizes and reduce assessment pressure on teachers.

"Labour will lift the public sector pay cap that has frozen teaching salaries and contributed to a teacher recruitment and retention crisis."

STAN PAJAK (Liberal Democrats)

"Under both Labour and Conservative governments Swindon schools have been underfunded.

"Now we are amid a crisis with sensational criticism by Offsted and a government proposal to stop funding for 300 teachers.

"We would reverse all the cuts to our schools introducing a fairer funding system with an extra £26.8m for Swindon schools and colleges.

"Good teachers are crucial and we would end the one per cent cap on teacher pay rises.

"We would extend our successful free school meals to all children in primary schools and triple the early year’s pupil premium matched by a broad and balanced curriculum in schools."

TALIS KIMBERLEY-FAIRBOURN (Green Party)

"Greens stand with teachers, parents, and young people who are calling for an end to the creeping privatisation in our education system.

"We will properly fund our schools again, and protect them from ever-deeper cuts; we’ll bring Academies and Free Schools into the local authority system, abolish SATS and reduce class sizes.

"We’ll scrap university tuition fees, fund full student grants, and invest in further and higher education; we’ll restore the Education Maintenance Allowance, and support apprenticeships

"We should trust our teachers to teach, instead of burdening them and our children with endless and damagingly stressful exams and inspections. 

“We must address the crisis of teacher workload. Teachers deserve our respect and support, not to be burned out and driven from the profession.

"Every child with special educational needs or a disability should have access to a mainstream education, in accordance with the UN Convention for Persons with Disabilities.

"It’s a national scandal that so many families have had to fight lengthy, unnecessary battles to get their youngsters the support they need and are entitled to. 

"Greens believe that education is a right, and should be available to people of all ages. A thriving education system will benefit us all.”

MARTIN COSTELLO (UKIP)

"Teachers are grossly underpaid in Britain and work much harder due to the class sizes; we must reduce the number of pupils per teacher to ensure our children get a better education.

"UKIP is committed to increasing funding in our education system. We want to see tuition fees scrapped. These are a barrier for young people going to university from poorer backgrounds; build grammar schools in working class areas to give working class children more opportunities.

"Abolish key stage 1 SATs and end sex education in primary school.

"Introduce vocational schools that teach trades such as bricklaying, plumbing and electrics.

"Seven is too young to be tested and this test narrows the curriculum and puts pressure on teachers to concentrate time and resources on borderline pupils.

"To give students a head start into a job, UKIP will introduce a scheme in which students attend classes at a vocational school and receive on-the-job training at a company.

"Employment prospects for children who go through this system are high.

"Our children need educational solutions that work. Grammar schools, dynamic academies and technical schools in every town, combined with high quality vocational training and careers’ advice, will deliver real opportunities for our children."

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the issue of health.

If you have questions that the candidates haven't been able to answer here, why not join us on June 5 for General Election Question Time.

The Swindon Advertiser has joined forces with the Wyvern Theatre to host a hustings event just a few days before the country goes to the polls.

Each of the candidates up for election will speak and take part in discussions on jobs, education, health, the economy, and Brexit.

Questions will be taken on the night, but you can also send your questions in advance by email to: questiontime@swindonadvertiser.co.uk between now and June 2.

Please mention either Swindon South or Swindon North in your email, depending on which constituency you are from.

The event will start at 7pm. Is free to attend but reserving a ticket from the Wyvern Theatre website is advised.

Visit swindontheatres.co.uk/Online/tickets-general-election-swindon-2017 to find out more.