Responding to today’s Budget statement, Geoff Barton,
General Secretary of the Association of School and College
Leaders, said:
“We welcome the commitments on education spending made by
the Chancellor in today’s Budget statement, and in particular the
pledge of £1.5 billion of new capital over five years to improve
the condition of the further education college estate. We also
recognise that the government has previously announced more money
for schools and colleges.
“However, none of these commitments are enough to reverse
the devastating cuts to courses, extra-curricular provision and
student support which have taken place over the past few years
because of the inadequacy of government funding, nor provide the
£6.7 billion which is needed according to the government’s own
figures to return all school buildings to a satisfactory or
better condition.
“We are particularly concerned about the situation in
post-16 education where the funding rate per student remains a
long way short of what is needed, and in special educational
needs provision which
desperately needs more investment beyond that already
announced by the government.
“Education is also a vital part of the nation’s
infrastructure. If we are to be a successful, confident and
outward-looking nation in the post-Brexit era, then the
government must invest more in our young people.”
