Chancellor’s Autumn Statement includes more funding for schools

Parentkind CEO John Jolly said, ​“We broadly welcome today’s news from Chancellor Jeremy Hunt that the government has recognised the moral case for investing in education. Parentkind recently lent its support to the Stop School Cuts campaign, because many parents told us they had started to notice that the increasing pressure on school budgets has negatively impacted their child’s education. Not only that, but during the pandemic, we heard a lot from parents about the disruption to young people’s lives and the toll it took on their mental health. Children and young people are the future, and investment in their education is a crucial societal good. All young people, whatever their background and home circumstances, deserve the opportunity to receive a good education, so that they can contribute meaningfully to the society of tomorrow. There are future leaders, entrepreneurs and visionaries among today’s school cohorts, and their education is a crucial stepping stone to achieving their lifetime’s potential. Despite the encouraging but much-needed news of more investment in education, it comes against a bleak economic backdrop. We are hearing through our research that a significant proportion of parents are struggling to afford the costs associated with sending their child to school. These financial pressures are not evenly distributed, but felt especially keenly by those with more children, younger parents who have accrued less wealth, those whose children are eligible for Free School Meals and those whose children have special educational needs or disabilities. We call on policymakers to give further consideration to supporting every family in the country during this difficult time. Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) must play a more prominent role in providing in-school support. Many are organising and running initiatives that help those on lower incomes such as pre-loved uniform shops and breakfast clubs. When inflation is so high and schools have to be thrifty with their budgets, PTAs’ role in fundraising is increasingly vital. These parent groups provide additional resources outside of the scope of the school budget, such as books for the library, IT and PE equipment, and other essentials.”