14 November 2007
Today’s provisional local government settlement for 2008-09 is bad news for education and schools. The draft settlement proposes a 2.2% increase in the local government grant for next year, a real terms cut of 0.6%. It also means that schools and local authority education services in Wales will only get an average 2.2% increase in 2008-09 and not the 4% increase misleadingly referred to in Assembly Government press statements.
In contrast, schools in England can expect a 5.6% increase in the next year, at a time when the funding gap between schools in England and Wales is growing wider and wider. At present, average spending per pupil in Wales is £663 less than in England and this is set to increase.
Cllr John Davies (Pembrokeshire), WLGA Education Spokesperson, commented,
“Local government spending on schools in recent years has been well in excess of the funding provided by the Assembly Government yet the gap between England and Wales is increasing at an alarming rate. Over the same period, attainment levels in Wales have continued to rise in parallel with the rest of the UK to the credit of our teachers, learners and the education community as whole.”
“The Assembly Government needs to understand that the education funding shortfall, and the growing disparity between schools in England and Wales, can only be met by increased funding from the Assembly Government or increased council tax. The only alternative facing local government with this settlement is cuts in service – redundancies and school closures.”
The views of the WLGA have been echoed across the education community in Wales. According to David Hopkins, Chair of the Association of Directors of Education in Wales:
“With an average settlement increase of 2.2% schools won’t be able to meet existing commitments let alone deliver new Assembly Government initiatives. The Foundation Phase which sets out a new curriculum for 3-7 year olds is a challenging initiative but it needs to be funded properly if it is going to improve outcomes for children and young people. This budget means there will be some difficult choices to be made in the coming months.”
Notes for Editors
- The 4% education increase referred to by the Welsh Assembly Government includes all education and training funding
Ends
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