Commenting on the final report of the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry on improving educational outcomes for disadvantaged children, Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, said:
"It cannot be right that parental income dictates children’s success in school. This report outlines how the tireless education workforce is swimming against the tide of inadequate Government support. As funding has been slashed, money meant for vulnerable children is having to be spent keeping the lights on.
"Our members will recognise problems raised in the Public Accounts Committee’s inquiry: insufficient funding, an unbalanced focus on academic attainment, and depleted early years provision. We welcome the committee’s recognition that there is no sense behind pupil premium funding falling 9% since 2019, that the Department for Education should consider other metrics of success such as pupil wellbeing, and that it should bolster early years services.
"Schools and early years settings must be empowered to meet their local needs, and this must be backed with investment from Westminster that meets the scale of the challenge. If the Government is serious about closing the gaps between rich and poor, it must start by restoring education funding to 2010 levels and use all the levers at the Government’s disposal to reduce child poverty."