Caroline Lucas MP has written to the Chancellor, Philip Hammond, ahead of the Budget regarding school funding:
Dear Philip,
I
am writing to you ahead of the Budget and following the recent protest
by over 1,000 headteachers about the funding crisis in our schools.
Yesterday
morning I received the ‘Dear Colleague’ letter on school funding from
the Secretary of State of Education about the Department’s use of OECD
figures on education spending. The purpose of the letter appears to be
to rebut the criticism from Sir David Norgrove, Chair of the UK
Statistics Authority, that education ministers have made "exaggerated"
claims that "do not give the full picture" on school funding. You will
be aware of Sir David’s concerns about repeated misuse of statistics,
and the Government’s deliberate distortion of data on the schools
crisis: “…figures were presented in such a way as to misrepresent
changes in school funding. In the tweet, school spending figures were
exaggerated by using a truncated axis, and by not adjusting for per
pupil spend.” [1]
I
am writing to you ahead of the Budget to make it clear that Damian’s
letter has not allayed my concerns, nor those of the headteachers,
staff, parents and children in Brighton Pavilion, and no doubt across
the country. Given that Sir David’s letter specifically raises the key
issue of adjustment for per-pupil spend, it beggars belief that the
letter did not address the Institute for Fiscal Studies finding that
total school spending per pupil fell by 8 per cent in real terms between
2009/10 and 2017/18 [1].
Moreover, the National Audit Office have also identified an 8 per cent
real-terms reduction in per-pupil funding for mainstream schools between
2014/15 and 2019/20 due to cost pressures [2].
It
is vital that the Government reverses the per-pupil funding cuts and
also fully funds the 3.5 per cent pay rise recommended by the School
Teachers Review Body (STRB) for all pay ranges and allowances. Heads are
talking about being forced to make redundancies in order to afford
well-deserved pay rises for their teachers.
Heads,
teachers, teaching assistants, parents and pupils all know the impact
of the cuts. There are particular concerns for children with Special
Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND). I have received
heart-breaking emails from headteachers for many months. Counselling
services cut, vital SEND support cut or not provided, staff not
replaced, enrichment activities and trips cut back, basic supplies paid
for by charity, repairs not undertaken. To provide just a few examples
of the most recent messages from headteachers in Brighton Pavilion:
“…if it was not for our parents and friends we would not manage”“Already we have had to rely on parent fundraising to update our reading books”“…significant undervaluing of and mean spirited approach to children's education in this country and the totally inadequate funding”"where do I find the money from?... We don't have the money.”“…the building is falling apart, there is no money for trips, enrichment activities or other things that help to enhance children's learning.”For children with SEND: “we have nothing left to provide for their needs adequately.”“We increasingly rely on volunteers”
I
am also receiving representations from sixth form colleges who face a
serious shortfall between the funding they receive and the amount they
need to educate their students. I urge you to take account of the new
report produced by London Economics on behalf of the Sixth Form Colleges
Association: Understanding the funding shortfall in sixth form education [2].
It shows the dramatic impact of the government freeze on sixth form
funding combined with a sharp increase in running costs. The report
found that sixth form colleges need an increase in funding of at least
£760 per student in 2020/21 to continue providing a high quality
education to young people. The report also found that, in real terms,
sixth form colleges received £1,380 less per student in 2016/17 than
they did in 2010/11 – a 22 per cent decline in funding [3]. I trust you will urgently address the issue of sixth form funding in the forthcoming Budget.
Lastly,
and in short, the purpose of this letter is to ask that we do not get
the same barrage of lame excuses about OECD spending comparisons on
Budget Day. As you will understand from the quotes and information
above, they simply do not wash, and I urge you to directly address the
issue of rising pupil numbers in schools. Talking about ‘more money’ is
an old political trick that fools no-one and leaves this funding crisis
unaddressed. Educational standards are in jeopardy. Yet, with the
per-pupil funding they need, our schools could deliver great outcomes
for all children. Without it we are letting down a generation. The
Budget is yet another chance for you to respond as the crisis requires
and I sincerely urge you to do so.
Best wishes,
Caroline
