Schools cash is miserly
The Government has spent hundreds of billions on our response to the pandemic. It is in this context that a further £400m for schools in England, even in addition to the £1.3 billion already announced, is miserly.
The £302m Recovery Premium equates to £22,000 for the average secondary school, or slightly less than the minimum salary for an unqualified teacher in inner London.
Ministers have had to be dragged kicking and screaming to support some of the most disadvantaged young people. This is not just bad politics, it is bad policy.
Our young people have suffered terribly. The Government should be erring on the side of overreaction to such a crisis.
Helping our young people to claw back the precious time lost to Covid must be a national priority, not an afterthought.
