16-19 EDUCATION FUNDING

That this House notes that the protection in cash terms for funding per student for 16-19 year olds announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in November 2015 is likely to equate to a real terms cut of 8 per cent over the next four years after inflation is taken into account; further notes that funding for 16-19 year olds had already been cut by 14 per cent in real terms between 2010 and 2015; expresses its serious concern about the deleterious impact of these cuts on sixth form colleges, school sixth forms and further education colleges, with 72 per cent of sixth form colleges already having dropped courses and 81 per cent increased class sizes; and welcomes the campaigning by the National Union of Teachers, the National Union of Students, the University and College Union and others who are calling on the Government to invest in 16-19 education and not to subject young people to further damaging cuts.