Commenting on a Government’s outline
of how money promised in the autumn statement will be distributed
to state schools in
England,Kevin
Courtney, Joint General Secretary of the National Education
Union,
said:
"It is amazing the Department of
Education is choosing to boast that education funding will
finally match 2009-2010 levels by 2024-25. Their expectations
must be very low indeed if they consider this progress, or
in any way acceptable. It is evidence of profound failure at the
heart of government that education funding will not have
increased in real terms over 15 years. It ignores the significant
comparable decline in the pay of teachers compared with other
professions and the associated problems in recruitment and
retention. It ignores the huge cuts to children's services
elsewhere that are impacting on
schools.
"The extra £2bn of funding is a
sticking plaster to cover the high level of inflation in the
economy. Taken as a whole, Government funding plans for 2022/23
to 2024/25 leave schools more or less exactly where they
started. The Government is like a low rent magician using poor
sleight of hand, when everyone can see the workings for
themselves.
"Persistent underfunding has led to
deep and lasting effects on the education sector. Class sizes are
at record levels - primary class sizes are the highest in Europe
and secondary class sizes are the highest since records began
more than 40 years ago. All children deserve to be taught in
classes of fewer than 30 led by a qualified teacher, but this is
simply not being addressed. Nor is the recruitment and retention
crisis, when the government cannot even meet its own targets in
teacher training and their pay offer to existing teachers is
rejected for being 'insulting'. No wonder teachers are leaving
the profession in high numbers.
"The education sector needs more money
and needs it now. If the Government is serious about education,
it needs to get its head out of the
sand."
