Commenting on a new report by the Education Policy Institute
(EPI) released today (Tuesday 20 April 2021) showing that a
funding package of £10-15 billion is needed from government to
meet their education recovery pledge, Paul Whiteman, general
secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:
“We need to be honest and recognise that recovery is not going to
be a quick or easy job. Children are returning to school needing
not just academic help, but a wide range of pastoral, mental
health and wellbeing support too.
“Unfortunately a simple return to ‘normal’ isn’t going to solve
things. It will take a considerable long-term investment of time,
money, energy and resources, which the government must recognise
and provide.
“High-quality of teaching is the most important driver of
educational progress, and the best contribution the government
could make is to value and invest in the teaching profession.
“And while education recovery can and must be led by education
experts, the impact of Covid on children and families reaches far
beyond the school gates, throughout the communities that schools
serve.
“Poverty and disadvantage, poor wellbeing, SEND, discrimination
and inequality are the fundamental issues harming children. These
must be addressed by government if we are to make a real
difference in the future.
“This will require the support of well-integrated and well-funded
services across the whole of a child’s life. Sadly, these
services have been seriously damaged by more than a decade of
austerity.
“The government must commit to a school funding package that
matches their education recovery pledge in ambition. But schools
cannot pick up the pieces alone. Government must also invest in
all the services needed to support a child’s whole life.
Mr Whiteman called on government to commit to make the required
funding available, saying:
"Other countries have signalled heavy investment in young people
and the services they require. Here schools have had very little
help to defray the costs associated with the pandemic, while
technical changes to the way the pupil premium is calculated has
resulted in schools losing funding for those pupils that need
most support. The nation’s children deserve better.”
