11th September 2019 9:00
By Blue Tutors
In a leaked document the government appears set to confirm a school funding increase of £4bn in the UK. Reported by the Guardian, the amount has been recommended by the education department, rather than signed off by the government, but it is in line with the amount schools have requested following a real terms 8% reduction in funding since 2010. However, there is scepticism that the government are genuinely trying to address the problem, rather than using it as a strategy for the next general election.
The document shows that the plan is to offer higher starting salaries for teachers in an attempt to deal with the current shortage, and also to give teachers more power to use “reasonable force” when restraining students in the classroom and ban mobile phones.
It is understood that this is a stepping stone towards putting an extra £4.6bn per year into schools by 2022. For now £2.8bn will be put into primary and secondary schools for students up to the age of 16, with £800m of that earmarked for students with special educational needs. A further £800m might be used for sixth forms and further education.
Additional funding for schools will be seen as a very popular move, and it’s something school leaders have been protesting about for some time. They have written letters to parents to petition the government to increase funding at the basic levels for children’s education. Whereas this news is positive, head teachers and school leaders are keen to see the details and receive confirmation that it is part of a longer term plan, before dropping their protests.