Labour has today [Monday] accused the Government of already
failing to live-up to their promise of a “tutoring revolution” as
new figures reveal their tutoring programme will reach less than
half of pupils on free school meals next year.
The Conservatives’ flagship National Tutoring Programme is
projected to reach just 43% of pupils on free school meals – or
8% of all school pupils – next year undermining promises from the
Education Secretary that a “tutoring revolution” would enable
pupils to catch-up from the impacts of the pandemic.
Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, , has described the plans as a “pitiful” response for
children who have missed an average of 115 days of in-person
school.
Labour has expressed concern about the repeated failures of the
government’s tutoring plans which include
- The current tutoring programme reaching just 1 in 100 school
pupils, while the promised expansion would see children receiving
less than an hour of tutoring a fortnight across the next school
year.
- Randstad, a multinational human resources company, will
deliver the programme next year but with a contract worth £37
million less than the Government originally proposed, prompting
fears Ministers are compromising on quality to cut costs.
In questions to the Education Secretary today, Kate Green will
challenge the Government on their continued failure to invest in
children’s futures, contrasting to Labour’s Children’s Recovery
Plan which would deliver new opportunities for all young people
to play, learn and develop.
Built on the understanding that children learn best when they’re
happy and well supported, Labour’s plan would provide new
activities and clubs around the school day and specialist mental
health support alongside delivering tutoring and targeted
learning support for all children who need it.
, Labour’s Shadow Education Secretary, said
“We have seen failure, upon failure from this Conservative
Government which has treated children as an afterthought and is
now failing to invest in their futures.
“Not only is there nothing in their proposals to support
children’s wellbeing or social development but the academic
element is woefully insufficient, failing to live-up to the
promised tutoring revolution.
“Labour has listened to parents, teachers and children and set
out a recovery plan that is ambitious for children futures, with
tutoring for all who need it alongside investment in activities
and clubs creating new opportunities for every child.”
Ends
Notes to editors
- This is just 43% of pupils on free school meals, or 8% of all
school pupils:
750,000 / 1,737,598 = 0.43
750,000 / 8,911,887 = 0.08
Pupil numbers and number of pupils on FSMs: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics
- At an education select committee hearing on 29 April, Schools
Minister MP said: “the latest figures are that of those
enrolled, over 110,000 have commenced tutoring and 44% of those
are eligible for pupil premium funding." https://committees.parliament.uk/oralevidence/2142/pdf/
|
Total children started to receive tutoring
|
Total school children
|
Percentage of children receiving tuition
|
|
110,000
|
8,911,887
|
1.23%
|
Source: total school children: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/school-pupils-and-their-characteristics
- Less than an hour of tutoring a fortnight across the next
year:
Government is delivering 15 hour tutoring courses
Across a standard 38 week school year this is less than one hour
every two weeks.
15hrs tutoring: theyworkforyou.com/wms/?id=2021-06-07.hcws70.h&s=tutoring+speaker%3A24729#ghcws70.0
38 week school year: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN07148/SN07148.pdf
