Education Questions

It has been reported in the media that the Government will drop the Schools Bill.

The Bill would have provided the legislative framework for a direct National Funding Formula, which the Government have promised to implement by 2026-2027.

I asked the Secretary of State for Education:

“Why has the Secretary of State dropped the Schools Bill?”

The Secretary of State responded:

“As the right hon. Member will know, the legislative timetable is under review—or it was, under the previous Prime Minister. We wait for the opinion of the new Prime Minister as to his priorities in the months to come. We will have to wait and see what we has to say.”

There have been four different Education Secretary of States since July 2022. This means that at a time where education must recover from the effects of the COVID pandemic, there is little consistency in strategy or direction.