UK: Education department admits funding calculation blunder

UK's Department for Education has admitted that it miscalculated its funding plans. The government has ordered an inquiry after the department apologised. BBC reported that the number of pupils was underestimated, the 2.7 per cent funding increase per pupil has now been revised to 1.9 per cent.

The development may make school recalculate their own budgets as they were given indication of funding they could received for year 2024/25 in July, based on a national formula that decides allocation of GBP 59.6 billion school budget.

However, on Friday (Oct 6) an update was published and also an admission that the original plan had incorrect estimate of number of students.

Susan Acland-Hood, the top civil servant of the Department of Education sent a letter to education select committee and said that school budget won't be reduced.

However, she said that the sum promised to schools needed to be recalculated as the department "uncovered an error made by DfE officials during the initial calculations".

BBC has reported that previously planned increase of 2.7 per cent per pupil would have made the government shell out GBP 370 million extra.

"This is an extremely unfortunate and frustrating error," said Geoff Burton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, as quoted by BBC.

The education department's error was pounced upon by the Labour Party. The party's shadow education secretary Bridget Phillipson termed this "yet more Conservative-mae chaos".

The teachers union said in a statement that government is "not paying attention to the crisis in education"

"Head teachers have planned for that money and budgets are pared to the bone," added the statement.

On Saturday (Oct 7) Labour Party held annual conference in Liverpool. Labour leader Keir Starmer and his deputy Angela Rayner were cheered on by waiting supporters.

Polls are currently favourable to Labour Party with 20-point lead over UK PM Rishi Sunak's Conservative Party.

(With inputs from agencies)

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