Commenting on yesterday’s Government announcement on school funding in 2021, Peter Shreeve, Assistant District Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Any Government announcement of additional school funding is welcome. But it is important to be clear that this funding does not even replace the budget cuts made since this Government was elected, originally as part of the coalition in 2010.”
Ongoing financial impact of safely bringing back pupils
He added,
“Furthermore, it fails to recognise the ongoing financial impact on schools of safely bringing back pupils in September. Department for Education ‘Guidance for full opening: schools’ published on 2nd July says: ‘Schools should use their existing resources to make arrangements to welcome all children back. There are no plans at present to reimburse additional costs incurred as part of that process.’
“Thus, schools will need to claw back these costs from already tight budgets.”
Current deficit in Isle of Wight schools
The Assistant District Secretary went on to say,
“Fifty percent of Isle of Wight maintained schools ran a deficit budget last year – significantly more schools than in the previous four years.
“We have an Island education deficit of nearly £2.5 million – made up of a 2019/20 financial year deficit of £1,580,000 and the dedicated schools grant deficit of £908,000.”
Shreeve: “Third of pupils will see funding in their school fall”
Mr Shreeve finished by saying,
“Even the claim that every child will see a funding rise is not true when you take account of inflation; we estimate a third of pupils will see funding in their school fall.
“A million children are in classes of over 30 and we have the biggest primary classes in Europe, the highest in this country for over 15 years. 4,000 schools are in need of immediate repair.
“Class sizes will continue to rise and school buildings will continue to crumble until the Government takes decisive action instead of a series of underfunded ‘headline-grabbing’ initiatives, such as the impressive sounding £650 million catch-up cash, which only works out at around £80 per pupil,”
