NASUWT comments on EPI sixth form and college funding report

Commenting on the report by the Education Policy Institute highlighting the scale of funding cuts to 16-19 education, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT-The Teachers’ Union, said:

“The NASUWT has been warning for some time that much of the post-16 sector is in a parlous financial state because of Government cuts and a lack of scrutiny of how money is being spent.

“Cuts have been made to per student funding and teachers’ pay and the result has been a reduction in students’ learning hours since 2012.

“In addition, the increasing costs and ongoing funding inequalities are reducing the learning opportunities for young people, narrowing the range of subjects and courses colleges are able to offer and are leading to the loss of life-changing opportunities for students. This is economically short sighted. High quality post-16 provision is critical to ensuring young people have the skills to meet changing and global economic needs.

“The current funding arrangements for colleges and sixth forms are inadequate, allowing for the retention of high levels of reserves at individual school and college levels at the same time as cutting per student funding.

“The NASUWT will continue to campaign for a substantial above inflation pay increase for sixth form college teachers, for above inflation increases in post-16 funding during the next Spending Review period and for a funding regime which ensures that post-16 funding is used appropriately.”

ENDS