MORE should be spent on education in Wales, Newport East AM John Griffiths has said.

Education spending accounts for 13.6 per cent of the Welsh Government’s budget this financial year – around £2.35 billion.

But, speaking in the Assembly this week, Labour AM Mr Griffiths said he believed this should be higher.

“I do understand that it's incredibly difficult to allocate funding in this age of austerity and all the pressures that involves,” he said. “Nonetheless, I do believe that education should have a bigger share of the Welsh Government's budget than is currently the case.”

He added: “Greater spend on education will equip our children to prosper in their careers and to have better health and better quality of life in general.”

Replying, finance secretary Mark Drakeford said Mr Griffiths made “a persuasive case” and highlighted how the Welsh Government’s 21st Century Schools programme - which pays for building new schools and improving existing ones - is “the single largest investment that we make”.

“That is a sign of the very high priority that we do attach to education and lifelong learning,” he said.

So far £1.4 billion has been spent as part of the 21st Century Schools programme since it was launched in 2010, with a further £2.3 billion of work planned.