Commenting on the Education Policy Institute’s (EPI) report on
the impact of the National Funding Formula (NFF), Dr Mary
Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and
Lecturers (ATL), said: “Despite the Government’s claims to the
contrary, the EPI’s report has provided independent evidence to
support what ATL has been saying for months – that schools are
facing significant real-terms cuts in per-pupil funding and will
need to find £3 billion in savings annually by 2020.
“It is indisputable that education ministers need to go back to
the Chancellor and secure more funding for our schools. The
National Funding Formula is a constructive attempt at
distributing funds to reverse historic anomalies and targets
support to the most disadvantaged pupils in our society; but
there is simply not enough to go around.
“What is clear from this research is that schools need to be
better funded. All schools need sufficient money to provide the
education their pupils are entitled to and the Government is not
providing adequate funding. In particular, disadvantaged pupils
and schools in deprived areas will suffer without this additional
funding.
“The Government should heed the EPI’s warning that the future for
schools beyond 2020 looks even bleaker if it doesn’t inject new
funds. By 2020, the EPI estimate that real-term losses will
equate to the loss of almost two teachers in an average primary
school and six teachers in an average secondary school, adding
further pressure to schools. There is genuine worry about
schools’ viability, and it is children who will be the victims of
the Government’s ideological economic policy.
“The Department needs to give as much notice as possible to
schools of its plans beyond 2020. We are entering the unknown and
have no idea what will happen with funding after this point.
Schools need time to plan and to know their budget projections
beyond the next couple of years, which is vital for a stable
school system.”
