Commenting on confirmation of school
funding allocations for 2023-24, Geoff Barton, General Secretary
of the Association of School and College Leaders, said:
“While we welcome this settlement and improved education funding
in recent years, this comes after years of real-terms cuts.
Analysis from the Institute
for Fiscal Studies, shows that school funding per pupil in 2024
will only be at about the same level as in 2010, while colleges
will still be receiving 10% less, and sixth forms 23% less. The
squeeze on education funding over the past decade has resulted in
schools and colleges having to make very significant cutbacks to
provision.
“Furthermore, the settlement for 2023-24 does not remotely take
into account the huge inflationary pressures which schools and
colleges are now experiencing. We are hearing reports of energy
bills being increased by 300% or more. Many settings have also
continued to face Covid cost pressures in using supply staff to
cover for absence. They also face the prospect of having to
absorb the cost of pay awards from existing budgets. It is
increasingly inevitable that many will have to make further
cutbacks to provision.
“The government has short-changed education for many years and,
unfortunately, that has left the sector in a very difficult
financial situation.”
