The BBC report that one of Wales’ teaching unions claims that the gap in funding between England and Wales is part of the reason for a small drop in A-level results in Wales:
The overall A-level pass rate dipped a little to 97.1%, while in England and Northern Ireland it is 0.5% higher.
The National Union of Teachers Cymru says the dip in results is “not a disaster,” but is a concern.
The gap between A-level performance in Wales and the rest of the UK widened for the second successive year when results were announced on Thursday.
Across the UK the overall pass rate rose to 97.6%.
David Evans, Welsh secretary of NUT Cymru, old BBC Radio Wales that the £527 funding gap between students in Wales and England is having a detrimental effect on pupils’ performances.
First Minister, Carwyn Jones has made a commitment to increase funding by 1% more than changes in the Barnett formula, however in this morning’s Western Mail, fresh doubts have been cast as to whether this is achieveable or not and what its impact will be on other services:
In making the pledge, Mr Jones said he was determined to address the increasing funding gap between the two countries: the amount spent per pupil is currently £527 more in England per year than in Wales.
But delivering on the promise at a time when huge public spending cuts are on the horizon will be very tough.
A source told the Western Mail: “If Carwyn breaks the promise, he will look stupid in the run-up to next year’s Assembly election. But the only way he can be sure of keeping it is to ring-fence the money he wants councils to spend on education.
“That is currently being considered by Leighton Andrews [the Education Minister, and Mr Jones’ campaign manager in the leadership election].
“The problem is that if school funding is ring-fenced, the level of cuts that local authorities would have to impose in other areas would be so great that no-one could accurately predict the consequences. It could result in the meltdown of other local services.
“The other point is that if the Assembly Government starts to dictate to councils what they should spend their money on, the whole principle of local democracy and local accountability is undermined.
“There would be no point left in having elected local authorities.”
It is not just the Coalition Government’s comprehensive spending review on 20th October that will make the next Welsh Government budget the most scrutinised ever. It is also the question marks over how Carwyn Jones will fulfil his promises and whether Labour and Plaid Cymru will revert to their natural centralising instincts or not.
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