Teaching unions criticised the autumn statement for “barely mentioning” education after a year of bitter disputes over pay and warnings about the state of school buildings.
Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union, warned of cuts to education provision because schools were not able to cope with cost increases in the coming years.
He said: “Investing properly in education is an urgent and overriding economic priority, yet what we have seen today is nothing of the sort.
“Just 3.9% of UK GDP is spent on education, compared to the OECD average of 5%. This was highlighted to Jeremy Hunt in a letter earlier this month from the leaders of four education unions.
“The Chancellor’s response is completely inadequate and makes a mockery of the Prime Minister’s repeated claim that education is at the heart of this Government’s priorities.
“It should be of great concern to Jeremy Hunt that 92% of mainstream schools will be unable to cope with cost increases in 2024/25. For 99% of secondary schools and 91% of primary schools, cuts to education provision are now inevitable.
“These schools have already seen years of under-investment, and in far too many cases school buildings have drifted into serious disrepair. The Chancellor couldn’t even bring himself to fund urgent work on the school estate, following the RAAC scandal, which has brought such embarrassment to this Government.
