Dr Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers
and Lecturers (ATL), said: “The 14% cut in school spending
identified by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) is happening
at a time of unprecedented change in our schools.
“This Government has imposed very expensive changes in school
structures, in the curriculum and in qualifications. All of
this is having an impact on our schools which have been running
to stand still, and are now unable to keep up.
“Already we are seeing school leaders making impossible choices,
narrowing the curriculum, growing class sizes and giving
teachers, who are already in the profession which works the most
unpaid overtime, larger teaching timetables.
“Sixth form and further education (FE) colleges in particular
have been ignored by governments for decades, with FE
being consistently treated as a poor relation in
funding terms. FE is already facing unsettling upheaval because
of the funding crisis and cannot continue to be side-lined, given
that it is the sector which provides the most training for the
current skills gap.
“Schools have been subsidising their sixth form pupils up to now,
from their funding for younger pupils, to enable them to provide
a broad curriculum and wide range of A-levels, but they won’t be
able to continue doing this. Many schools will be forced to cut
A-level subjects which will reduce the options for young people
at sixth form and potentially in their future careers.
“The rise in educational performance in our schools, and the
achievements of children and young people, are being threatened
by the real terms cuts in funding that the Government is imposing
on our schools.”
