Thank you for contacting me regarding school funding.
I am deeply concerned about school funding in Wales and agree with NAHT Cymru’s statement that there has been “chronic underfunding” from the Labour Welsh Government. School leaders are at the forefront of dealing with this issue, and the numbers outlined in the NAHT’s funding study are worrying.
It is also worth noting that, for every £1 spent in England, Wales receives £1.20. As a result, education spending per pupil in Wales should be at least £1,000 more compared to England. However, according to the IFS, every young person in Wales receives £100 less than their counterparts in England.
As announced in the recent UK Budget, the UK Conservative Government has committed to increasing the Welsh Government budget by £2.5 billion per year on average for the next three years. This is the largest annual funding settlement increase since devolution began, and is on top of an annual baseline funding of £15.9 billion.
You are also right to say that investment in education is important, and the increase in funding from the UK Government to the Labour Welsh Government should allow them to give much-needed funds to schools over the coming years, which we believe will benefit pupils across Wales.
In our 2021 Senedd Election Manifesto, Welsh Conservatives committed to increasing school funding in each and every year of the Welsh Parliament. In addition, we committed to delivering 5,000 more teachers across Wales, and helping to improve standards by reducing class sizes. Therefore, I assure you that my colleagues and I in the Welsh Conservatives will continue to urge the Labour Welsh Government to act upon these very important issues.
Thank you for taking the time to write to me.