Commenting on the Education Policy Institute’s analysis paper of
its preliminary research findings on education recovery, Dr Mary
Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union,
said:
“The National Education Union welcomes this important initial
analysis by the Education Policy Institute looking at the scale
of the challenge to help young people and their schools recover
from the pandemic.
“The educational divide has been growing over recent years. As
the report points out British education has been blighted by
increasing child poverty and that left many children extremely
vulnerable when the pandemic struck.
“We agree with the report’s conclusions that overcoming the
pandemic is possible and that it should serve as a catalyst for
sustained improvements in education. The scale of learning lost
cannot be overcome by some short term, piecemeal measures such as
catch-ups. This will require years of work and investment, not
just in school but also extending the post-16 offer which has
been cut so hard over the last decade.”
“The report exposes the inadequacy of the Government plan to
spend just £250 per pupil on educational recovery, whereas the
United States are spending £1,600 per pupil and the Netherlands
£2,500.
“We agree schools need a multi-year £15 billion plan but for the
plan to succeed we must also end the blight of child poverty – no
longer can we allow children to come to school hungry.”
