Commenting on the proposed National Funding Formula for Schools and High Needs, Chris Keates, General Secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers’ union in the UK, said:
“The delay in publishing the consultation on the national funding formula for schools indicates that even the Government recognises the scale of the challenge involved in creating a funding formula which enables schools to secure the educational entitlements of all children and young people.
“The devil will be in the detail of the Government’s proposals for reform to the school funding system, and it will be important that the details are considered carefully.
“A key challenge the Government faces in securing a fair funding system is a legacy of the last six years of misguided economic austerity which has been to the detriment of schools and pupils.
“The Government not only needs to ensure that it is able to demonstrate that its funding reform proposals are fit for purpose, but it also needs to secure confidence from schools, teachers and the public that these are the right proposals in the circumstances.
“After years of austerity which have increased pressures on schools, the funding reforms must be managed in a way that does not add to the existing pressures on schools or result in ‘knee-jerk’ responses that increase the burdens placed on teachers.
“A key test for the Government’s funding proposals is whether they will support schools in tackling the profound inequalities of access to education.
“A real danger of the Government’s National Funding Formula proposals is that they will reduce or remove vital support for pupils from poorer backgrounds and those from families which are just about managing.
“The NASUWT will judge the National Funding Formula on its contribution to building a fairer and more just country that works for everyone.”
ENDS
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