Funding review must go beyond frontline services

19 January 2010

Commenting on the announcement of a review of education spending in Wales by Leighton Andrews, minister for children, education and lifelong learning, Chris Keates, general secretary of the NASUWT, the largest teachers' union in Wales and the UK, said:

"The NASUWT cautiously welcomes news of this review, given that the new First Minister has given a commitment to address the funding gap between England and Wales.

"The 1% increase in education funding above the block grant given by Westminster was an important step forward. The agreement is more complex than references to 'frontline' services. Schools depend on a range of local authority services and all of these have to be considered

"Whether or not retaining 22 local authorities is sustainable will be a key debate to be had.

"The review must address the problems that have been caused by Local Management of Schools (LMS) including spending decisions at school level and the vagaries of formula funding."

Rex Phillips, NASUWT Wales organiser, said:

"Too many schools have got themselves into debt and it is teachers that are forced to pay the price through redundancy.

"Closing the funding gap cannot be about a redistribution of resources, it has to be about increasing funding beyond the 1%."

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