Commenting on the passing of Motion 12 at the Annual Conference of the National Education Union, Dr Mary Bousted, Joint General Secretary of the National Education Union, said:
“Education funding suffered a ‘lost decade’ in the 2010s with a 9% cut in real terms spending. The 2019 and 2022 Spending Rounds were a first step to repairing the damage. A decade of underfunding cannot be repaired overnight and requires a long-term commitment from Government. The extra £2bn in the Autumn Statement 2022 was just a sticking plaster to cover the high inflation caused by the Government’s economic mismanagement.
“In 2022, the Government spent just 4.2% of GDP on education compared with 5.6% in 2010. High income countries spend an average of 5% of GDP on education. The Government ultimately must decide what type of country it wishes us to be – a low-wage, low-skill, low-investment economy, or a high-investment, high-skill, high-productivity economy, leading to high wages for its citizens.
“Class sizes are at record levels - primary class sizes are the highest in Europe and secondary class sizes are the highest since records began more than 40 years ago. The education sector needs more money and needs it now. All children deserve to be taught in classes of fewer than 30 led by a qualified teacher.”
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2023-050-NEU