Responding to the findings of a new schools cost of living survey
by the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) which
found that many are worried about the impact of rising costs on
budgets, Paul Whiteman, general secretary at school leaders’
union NAHT, said:
“This report is a stark reminder that while the overall rate of
inflation has eased, prices are still rising and schools and
society more broadly are continuing to face severe challenges as
a result.
“Schools face a twin challenge of juggling both their increased
costs for things like energy and resources, and in supporting
more children who may turn up hungry and not in a good place to
learn. It’s now often harder for them and their families to
access help from services like social care which have suffered
from years of under-investment, meaning already stretched school
staff are increasingly picking up the slack.
“School leaders are doing their utmost to minimise the impact of
these cost pressures upon children’s education, but this is a
real challenge, and particularly difficult for those in more
disadvantaged areas or with higher numbers of pupils with special
education needs and disabilities.
“These findings give the government notice that it must mitigate
the impact of continuing inflation by offering the level of
investment needed in schools in the autumn spending review in
November.”
