Sir Kevan Collins resigns from recovery role
By Rachel Lawler
Education recovery commissioner Sir Kevan Collins has shortly after the government pledged £1.4 billion in additional funding for education.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Collins said that he does not believe it will be possible to deliver a successful recovery for the education sector without “significantly greater support than the government has, to date, indicated it intends to provide”.
He called on the government to allocate additional resources to education recovery in the upcoming Spending Review.
In a statement, Collins said: “The package of support announced yesterday falls far short of what is needed. It is too narrow, too small and will be delivered too slowly.
“[…] Not enough is being done to help vulnerable pupils, children in the early years or 16- to 19-year-olds. Above all, I am concerned that the package announced betrays an undervaluation of the importance of education for individuals and as a driver for a more prosperous and healthy society.”
A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street told : “The Prime Minister is hugely grateful to Sir Kevan for his work in helping pupils catch-up and recover from the effects of the pandemic.
“The Government will continue to focus on education recovery and making sure no child is left behind with their learning, with over £3 billion committed for catch up so far.”