NEU responds to EEF paper on reading and maths skills

Commenting on research published by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) which tracks the long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on reading and maths skills, Kevin Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:    

"The EEF confirms what school staff have been saying with increasing urgency since the start of the pandemic: the socio-economic attainment gap has not only widened, it shows no sign of reducing.    

"Schools are doing all they can to address the aftermath of the pandemic, but education alone is not enough. The government continues to ignore the role of poverty in limiting the horizons of children’s learning.     

"Schools serving the most disadvantaged pupils have suffered the worst funding cuts since 2015. The EEF provides further evidence that the crisis is worsening. The government must take substantial action to address it. Children need warmth, safe housing, and food. Schools need better funding to support their pupils' learning, particularly for those who need extra help.  These are essential preconditions for any serious and enduring attempt to close the attainment gap."