The Association of School and College Leaders has today written
to the leaders of the Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrat
parties calling on them to commit to a better deal for education.
The letter from ASCL General Secretary Pepe Di'Iasio is part of
our #EducationMatters campaign in the run-up to the General
Election.
The letter says:
“I am writing to you on behalf of our 25,000 members who lead
schools and colleges across the UK to ask you to commit to a
better deal for education. The General Election on 4 July offers
an opportunity for the new government and parliament to see
education as an investment in the future – of children and of the
country – rather than as a cost to be managed.
“We have a very good education system, thanks to the tireless
work of our brilliant education staff. But it is under severe
strain because of the shortage of sufficient funding and
teachers, and wider social issues which are impacting upon
children and young people, such as the high rate of child poverty
in the UK, and the pressure on local support services, including
mental health and social care, which often cannot meet the
demands on them. Schools and colleges have become a de facto
fourth emergency service, endeavouring to fill these gaps, while
struggling with a lack of critical resources.
“The special educational needs system in particular needs urgent
attention as available funding is demonstrably not sufficient to
meet needs and this is resulting in delays in assessment and the
provision of support to the most vulnerable children. The fact
that huge amounts of public money are currently being spent on
managing high-needs deficits via ‘safety valve agreements' rather
than on meeting the needs of children is a situation that is
close to madness. We ask that, as an immediate step, you back our
calls to draw a line under these deficits and get the money to
where it will make a difference.
“While providing a great education system is not only a question
of money, it cannot be avoided that sustainable funding is the
bedrock upon which everything else depends. It is not only the
current financial situation in schools and colleges that is
extremely worrying, but also the fact that the projected public
spending plans for the next parliament are unrealistic and will
leave public services once again facing an age of austerity. We
ask you to set out in clear terms that your party will do
everything possible to avoid this from happening and that if you
are in government you will revisit these plans at the earliest
opportunity.
“This really is a pivotal moment in the modern history of the UK
where to choose the current path will make it increasingly
difficult to provide the standard of education and range of
provision that parents rightly expect, while an affirmative
choice to invest in the future will produce great dividends for
our economic and social prosperity.
“We ask you to commit to improving the life chances of all
children and young people, regardless of background and starting
point, and to demonstrate an ambitious vision for our nation
which puts future generations at the heart of policymaking.
“Please do take a look at our 10 asks for education.
We would be very happy to answer any questions you may have.”
