Spring Budget: Statement

“It is encouraging that the Chancellor aims to halve inflation, reduce public debt and boost economic growth.

His promise to reform the childcare system, ease the burden of childcare costs and help care experienced young people into work, is a step in the right direction.

However, one key component of his ‘Education Pillar’ was missing: education recovery. The Chancellor has created a false economy by not prioritising young people’s education recovery. This means the Government has stored up problems for the future; potentially causing higher levels of social inequality and lower levels of economic growth.

Since the Government’s flagship programme to recover lost learning dropped its 65% target of tuition support for young people in receipt of the pupil premium, the attainment gap has grown. The gap which measures the difference in educational achievement between disadvantaged pupils and their better-off classmates now stands at six to seven months.

We urge the Government to invest in young people today, to ensure we have the talented workforce of tomorrow. The Government should reinstate the 65% target of the National Tutoring Programme and commit to closing the attainment gap.

Ignoring the issue will only lead to individuals from disadvantaged communities to be locked out for years to come. So much for solving the productivity puzzle.”

– Sarah Atkinson – CEO, the Social Mobility Foundation