Keir Starmer faces criticism over school funding overhaul
SIR Keir Starmer is being accused of waging class warfare over a radical plan to overhaul funding for disadvantaged schools, reports BritPanorama.
The Labour Party proposes to allocate funds based on parents’ earnings rather than the existing metric of students eligible for free school meals. This shift has sparked warnings from MPs who fear it could disproportionately impact middle-class families.
Former Education Secretary Sir Gavin Williamson expressed concern, stating, “This looks more like class warfare and wealth distribution. Working against hard-working families to try to buy off the left of the party to save Starmer’s premiership.”
Sir Iain Duncan Smith, a previous pensions secretary, claimed that Labour has strayed from the paths of Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, suggesting it has transformed into a party akin to that of Jeremy Corbyn. He stated, “This is redistribution of wealth and punishment.”
Moreover, Shadow Education Secretary Laura Trott labelled the policy as “ideological warfare,” while Liberal Democrat Education spokesperson Munira Wilson cautioned that the proposal might entrench regional inequalities within the school system, noting that poverty is not confined to a single area.
In response to the criticisms, the Government argues that substituting household income for the binary free school meals measure aims to help reduce the educational divide between affluent and less fortunate pupils. Officials assert that the plan will consider the extent of low household income, its duration, and geographical factors.
The detailed proposal is set to be included in a white paper to be published soon, introducing new attendance targets and retention incentives of up to £15,000 for headteachers in high-need areas. Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson remarked, “These reforms are a golden opportunity to cut the link between background and success. For too long, many children have been let down by a one-size fits all system, denied opportunity as they’re poor or have additional needs.”
This dynamic proposal raises pertinent questions about equity in education funding and the implications of such changes on different demographic groups in the UK.
