Commenting on the Chancellor's Autumn Budget speech, Pepe
Di'Iasio, General Secretary of the Association of School and
College Leaders, said:
“We are pleased that the Chancellor has announced that the
two-child benefit limit will be scrapped. Its introduction eight
years ago by a previous administration has been a disaster for
hundreds of thousands of children who have been plunged, or
pushed deeper, into poverty. Schools and colleges see the impact
of this every day with pupils arriving who are cold, hungry,
poorly clothed, and living in inadequate housing. This not only
detrimentally affects the wellbeing of these children, but also
impacts on their readiness to learn. Getting rid of this damaging
policy is a step in the right direction – morally, socially, and
educationally – and comes on top of the welcome decision to
expand the eligibility of free school meals to every pupil whose
household is on Universal Credit. The government deserves
recognition for these major policy decisions in a tight financial
climate. It has shown resolve on behalf of some our most
vulnerable youngsters. However, there is still much work to do to
reduce the appallingly high rate of child poverty in the UK.
“Turning to the parlous state of education funding, it is deeply
disappointing that there was nothing in the Budget speech which
recognised or addressed the huge financial pressures on schools
and colleges. While we understand that departmental spending has
been set in the longer-term spending review earlier this year, we
do not think this is sufficient for the future, and certainly
doesn't address the problems happening right now – with many
settings having to cut educational provision in order to balance
the books. The Chancellor's announcement of more money for school
libraries and playgrounds – welcome though this is – amounts to a
drop in the fiscal ocean. Schools and colleges desperately need
government action now as well as a commitment to improved and
strategic investment in the future. The government cannot
continue to ask schools and colleges to do more with less.
“We are very concerned to see that the Office for Budget
Responsibility has warned the government that its plans to absorb
the full cost of SEND provision into existing departmental
spending in 2028-29 would imply a 1.7% real fall in mainstream
school spending per pupil. This would clearly have a catastrophic
impact on educational provision and it is imperative that the
government sets out how it intends to address this issue as a
matter of urgency.”
