Conservative backbenchers urge Theresa May to scrap National Funding Formula
The Prime Minister is facing pressure from backbenchers to abandon plans for a school funding shake-up.
An Evening Standard investigation revealed that senior Conservatives want the Government’s plans for school funding reforms to be dropped from the party’s manifesto before the General Election takes place on Thursday 8th of June. The London publication, now edited by former Chancellor George Osborne, added that some MPs want the party’s manifesto to outline a “clear promise of a rethink”.
Chairman of the 1922 Committee Graham Brady told the newspaper:
Historically, school funding across the country has been unequal.
It is quite right that the Government is seeking to address this with a more consistent approach to school funding according to need. But it has been obvious since very soon after the draft formula was published that it could not work in that form.
These were proposals for consultation — I look forward to seeing revised proposals in the near future.
The National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) has also warned of delays to the implementation of the National Funding Formula, or it being completely scrapped.
The union’s Head of Policy forecast the plans could be pushed back to April 2019, due to the disruption caused by the snap General Election.
The Government has already delayed implementing the NFF which was initially planned for April 2017, with funds to be allocated to schools from September. This was pushed back by Education Secretary Justine Greening when she took up her role last year.