Department for Education school funding claims face investigation
The UK’s statistics watchdog is to investigate Department for Education claims over school spending.
It follows BBC News reports which showed that figures quoted by education ministers defending their record on state school spending included the money spent by university students on tuition fees and parents on private school fees. This was also reported in the Weekly Update this week.
Head Teachers’ leaders have accused the department of “disrespecting” schools and teachers by this “extraordinary” use of statistics, warning it has “serious questions to answer”.
The Department for Education accepts that the spending claim is not limited to public spending on schools – but stands by its use of the figures as “accurate”.
The investigation – by the UK Statistics Authority, the watchdog which prevents the misleading use of figures – has been confirmed by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) think tank, which compiles the international comparisons of spending figures.
Read more on this article on the BBC.