With the chancellor promising to deliver an extra £4.7bn by 2024-25 for schools in the UK – which he claims restores per pupil funding to 2010 levels – industry response from Simon Carter, Director at RM on what this means for schools.
Simon Carter, Director at RM:
“With Britain’s national debt significantly higher than pre-COVID, and the country’s ageing population weighing heavy on the NHS, it would have b
een naïve to expect an optimistic Autumn Budget from the Chancellor this year. Instead, it’s safe to say that Rishi Sunak has battened down the hatches and braced the country for a tax-heavy winter – and even Government departments haven’t escaped the cash cull.
“But there is at least some positive news for one of the most cash-strapped Government departments: education. With schools, colleges and universities under enormous pressure to fill staff vacancies, as well as fund ever-developing remote learning offerings, teachers will be relieved to learn that not all areas of education will be facing a further round of cuts this October. And, with half term behind them and shortages of everything from sparkling water to petrol to lorry drivers plaguing Britain in the lead up to Christmas, schools will be reassured that there isn’t another tightening of belts so soon after the pandemic.
“Schools have, after all, become first responders to the families most impacted by COVID. Whether for education, social or mental health purposes, the relationships between students and teachers have meant parents are free to work, and young people free to learn and interact, even in the most difficult of circumstances. While the economy remains in flux in the UK, it’s vital that education institutions remain the priority for the UK Government and teachers’ hard work pays off in time for the next academic year.”
