School and college funding inquiry launched by Education
Committee
The House of Commons Education Committee has today launched an
inquiry to inform the Department for Education’s bid for
funding for schools and colleges, and to consider whether a
longer-term vision needs to be taken of education funding in
England.
While the Government is already reforming the way in which money
is distributed to schools through the introduction of a national
funding formula for schools, the spending review process will
determine the overall level of public funding for schools and
colleges.
The Committee’s new inquiry aims to examine whether a longer-term
plan is needed for investment in education and what resources are
required to ensure schools and colleges get the support they
need. The inquiry will also look at the effectiveness of targeted
funding such as the pupil premium and how the new national
funding formula will be implemented.
Launching the inquiry, Rt Hon , Chair of the Education
Committee, said: “Young people are in compulsory
education for around 13 years, yet Government only plans
investment in education every three or four years. We need to
move to a situation where education funding is not driven
primarily by Treasury processes but rather by a long-term
strategic assessment of our national priorities for education and
skills.
Rising cost pressures faced by schools, sixth form and FE
colleges have led to serious challenges in the provision of high
quality education which can be a key driver for social justice
and productivity. The Spending Review provides the Government
with an opportunity to help close the funding gap and it is vital
this process is informed by the views of parents, teachers and
pupils.
Some areas of public expenditure are informed by an overall
target, whether it’s 0.7% of gross national income on
international aid or 2% of gross domestic product on defence.
Other areas are vocal about their level of need, such as in the
case made for greater expenditure on health services. I hope our
inquiry will help give ordinary people a role in creating a
ten-year vision for education investment. The Prime
Minister recently signalled a new approach to funding the NHS; I
hope the Education Committee can help to make the case for a
similar plan for expenditure on our schools and colleges.
Education provides a vital ladder of opportunity for our
young people. This inquiry will examine whether it is time to
have a ten-year plan for our schools and colleges, and what
resources are required to put this plan into action.”
School and college funding inquiry terms of reference -
call for written submissions
The Education Committee invites written
submissions by 30 May 2018 on the following issues:
- What the Department for Education’s priorities should be for
the next Spending Review period as they relate to schools and
colleges
- Whether the spending review cycle is the best mechanism for
determining overall expenditure on schools and colleges, and what
that level should be
- The effectiveness of targeted funding such as the pupil
premium, and its relationship to core education funding
- The practical implementation of the national funding formula
