NAHT comments on EPI research note comparing education recovery funding with “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme

Commenting as the Education Policy Institute (EPI) publish a research note ahead of Wednesday’s parliamentary debate on education recovery, that compares government funding for education recovery with the Chancellor’s “Eat Out to Help Out” scheme, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said:

“As EPI point out, the government is not adverse to splashing the cash when they want to. The ill-fated Eat Out to Help Out scheme is just part of the support that has been given to businesses that totals tens of billions. Of course, support for business is important, but it shows how far down the government’s list of priorities children and young people seem to place.

“By short-changing education recovery, the government has missed an opportunity to make a real difference to the lives of young people in the short term, and ignored the necessity of putting down some firm recovery foundations for the long term. By every measure, this is a low-cost option when what pupils deserved was something first class.”