Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, comments on the briefing from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) on the inflation squeeze on public services
“This analysis shows very clearly the devastating impact of soaring inflation on education with government spending on the sector now projected to barely increase in real-terms over the next three years. This is after a decade of real-terms cuts.
“As the IFS notes, the measure of inflation used for these calculations is unlikely to capture the full extent of cost pressures. And, indeed, the reality in many schools, colleges and trusts is that they are facing massive hikes in energy bills as well as pay awards for teachers and support staff for which there is no additional government funding. It is very likely that this situation will result in cuts to education provision and larger class sizes as schools and colleges try to find ways to balance their budgets.
“The Conservative leadership candidates must respond to the call from the IFS to say how they will deal with the pressures on public services. The education of our children and young people is of critical importance to their life chances, to social justice and to the future of the country.”