We don’t need no education: £1 billion catch-up fund for England’s pupils

Published by Florence McCrae on June 19th 2020, 9:09am

The prime minister has announced a £1 billion fund for pupils in England who have missed out on school as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.

Pupils who are most disadvantaged will have access to tutors using a £350 million programme in the coming academic year. The remaining £650 million will be allocated to primary and secondary schools to allocate to pupils they deem most in need of the additional assistance.

While headteachers welcomed the funds, they noted that more information was required.

Labour has continued to demand the introduction of a taskforce, including both scientific and health experts, as well as trade unions, in order to ensure pupils may return to school as soon as possible.

Rebecca Long Bailey, the shadow education secretary, has said that the plans "lack detail and appear to be a tiny fraction of the support" required by the level of disruption caused, and instead asked for a "detailed national education plan to get children's education and health back on track".

Nick Gibb, the school minister, defended the length of the plan, saying that: "If you want children to catch up, it can't just be done over the month of August - it has to be longer term over the academic year.”

Boris Johnson said that the fund would allow headteachers to provide the support they felt pupils needed. He continued that he was "determined to do everything" in his power to ensure pupils can return to school in September. He concluded: "We will bring forward plans on how this will happen as soon as possible.”

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Florence McCrae
Literary Editor
June 19th 2020, 9:09am

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