Education is facing an existential funding and reformation crisis
Education is facing an existential funding and reformation crisis
Teachers have expressed confusion over new the new GCSE grading system and schools face a funding crisis over the next 4 years
Issue # 2 , 22 nd April
By Matthew Clifton
Education standards in the UK are slipping and since the introduction of GCSEs , the Conservatives have done their best to portray them as failing or failed . However , with significant growth within the UK economy and high levels of innovation , particularly within the arts and more creative subjects . The evidence suggests that the UK education system was on track but the government ’ s education policy recently has been called ‘ elitist ’ by many commentators and the opposition .
Under David Cameron , the government band new grammar school places , which was a good move but from that failed to produce any meaningful results in creating a fairer education system for everyone .
Theresa May has started by overhauling the government ’ s education policy , her first move was to remove the ban on new grammar school places , but during Chancellor Phillip Hammond ’ s first budget , they announced £ 320m was to be spent on free schools . The issue is that this expenditure barely makes up for the losses already accumulated by the government . He also promised a further £ 216m to rebuild and refurbish existing schools .
The latest move is the implementation of the new GCSE reforms but concerns have
been raised over them . They consist of a new grading system of 9-1 that replace A * -G grades . The government say that it ’ ll provide “ greater stretch ” for the highest performers . But teachers are struggling to get to grips with the grading boundaries because they haven ’ t been told what they are .
This anxiety translates onto the children who have no idea how they are performing , which causes further stress and after the mock exams talking to students has been described as “ counselling sessions ” by teachers . The only aspect teachers have been able to confirm is that compared to last year the marks are very low and that very few people are scoring very high marks on the exams .
The elitism is apparent when latest statistics suggest poorer families are unable to send their children to the best primary schools , with the charity Teach First finding 15 % of children from the 30 % of the poorest families currently go to outstanding primary schools . Whereas 27 % of children from 30 % of the richest family go to outstanding primary schools . There
4 is nothing inherently wrong with the richest families sending their children to the best but it underlines the lack of equal opportunities in education .
Furthermore , the National Union of Teachers ( NUT ) have estimated that at least £ 138.5m has been wasted by opening 62 free schools , university technical colleges ( UTC ) and studio schools that have either closed , partially closed , or failed to open at all . This could fund 3,680 teachers for a year and provide £ 6,586 for every school in England . Plus , despite the ‘ extra funding ’ schools are facing £ 3bn real-terms cut over the next 4 years ,