Commenting on the final report of the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said,
“The report summary highlights an estimated £9.2 billion is disadvantage related funding. However, over 90% is not ring-fenced. Schools are given the ‘flexibility to decide how to spend funding according to local circumstance’.
“In reality in austere times, this flexibility choice is a Hobson’s choice, i.e. no choice at all. As funding has been slashed, nearly half of ‘school leaders are increasingly reporting using pupil premium funding to plug other budget gaps’ according to the latest Sutton Trust data.
“Money meant to directly support vulnerable children is having to be spent on all pupils. Why should disadvantaged pupils risk losing out as their funding becomes increasingly used to plug budget gaps? Robbing Peter to pay Paul is not the solution!”
Shreeve: Schools and early years settings must be empowered to meet local needs
He went on to say,
“Island parents and education staff will recognise issues raised in the PAC inquiry: insufficient funding, an unbalanced focus on academic attainment and depleted early years provision.
“Schools and early years settings must be empowered to meet local needs. They cannot do this with their financial hands tied.
“If the Government is serious about closing the gaps between rich and poor, it must act on two key fronts:
- By restoring education funding to 2010 levels.
- By drastically reducing child poverty.
“The reality of educational needs cannot continue to be ignored year after year after year.
“Schools need to be supported to make the right choices.”
