“We urge the Government to move much faster to reverse the cuts to education funding made under the Conservatives.”
Daniel Kebede, National Education Union General Secretary
By Patrick Foley
Education unions the University and College Union (UCU) and National Education Union (NEU) both responded to Rachel Reeves’ budget by pointing out that more would be needed to reverse the damage of over a decade of Tory austerity on the education sector, highlighting that a properly funded, quality education sector is important to economic growth as a whole.
The UCU further stated that calls for funding were “not a matter of special pleading: a properly funded higher education sector is a foundation stone of economic growth.”
In full, UCU General Secretary Jo Grady said, “Today’s Budget is thin gruel for those working in universities. Employer national insurance rises will hit the sector hard when higher education is already on its knees. Universities are crying out for increased public funding to secure their future as Britain’s last world-leading sector, yet the Chancellor failed to deliver. There will be no decade of national renewal if the government’s approach to universities continues to be one of de facto disinvestment. This is not a matter of special pleading: a properly funded higher education sector is a foundation stone of economic growth.”
She added, “Increases to the apprentice and national minimum wage are welcome; this will not only improve the lives of the lowest paid, but raise the bar for all workers and help grow the economy. Further education lecturers now also urgently need a pay rise. The £300m in additional funding must be used to match the 5.5% pay rise that schoolteachers received and help close the £9k pay gap. If pay doesn’t rise, colleges will continue to haemorrhage staff and there will be no one left to train the workforce of tomorrow.”
Meanwhile, National Education Union (NEU) General Secretary Daniel Kebede took the opportunity to call for the Government to move faster to reverse over a decade of Tory cuts to education, and to highlight the need for anti-poverty policies such as “scrapping the cruel and ineffective two-child benefit limit, which would lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty overnight.”
In full, he said “The additional funding announced today is a welcome injection, but still falls short of what is needed to rebuild education, including the investment needed to reverse pay cuts and tackle sky high workload.
“A commitment to continue the School Rebuilding Programme is important but the Chancellor’s investment is a small dent in the £40 billion cumulative cut to school capital funding since 2010. We are still decades away from a full rejuvenation of the school estate.
“The increase in funding for SEND of £1bn is also a much-needed step in the right direction. But it won’t stem the crisis in SEND, which can only be resolved through significant reform of the system itself. The Government is already engaged in that work and we are pleased to be discussing changes with it.
“Awarding just £1.3bn for mainstream schools, however, will put them in a very difficult position. Given the scale of the teacher recruitment and retention crisis and the historic low pay of support staff, this level of funding is insufficient.
“Post-16 was hit harder than other areas of education under the Conservatives. The additional £300 million for Further Education will enable colleges to match the 5.5% pay settlement agreed for school teachers. However, it falls far short of the investment necessary to grow the skills of a generation pivotal to future economic growth.
“Poverty makes it so much harder for children to realise their potential, in school and beyond. The failure to scrap the cruel and ineffective two-child benefit limit, which would lift hundreds of thousands of children out of poverty overnight, is truly disappointing.
“Breakfast clubs are a start but the Government needs to be much more ambitious and introduce universal free school meals, beginning with primary.
“Reversing the pay cuts and tackling sky high workload is critical to address the recruitment and retention crisis. It is the overriding issue in schools and colleges.
“The education system, from early years through to post-16, is in dire need of funding and support. We urge the Government to move much faster to reverse the cuts to education funding made under the Conservatives.”
The comments from the education union leaders followed FBU General Secretary Matt Wrack urging the Government to “go further and faster in rebuilding our broken public services.”
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