Catch-up funds should be given to GCSE students for further studies and resources, say Greens
12 August 2021
The Green Party has called on the government to provide students who received their GCSE results today with the “catch up” funds promised to support them in further study or finding jobs now they have finished school.
Last month, the government offered funding for schools to provide “catch up” sessions over the summer for students who had missed time at school due to the pandemic. However, it has been reported that many schools did not offer the extra provision due to concerns over the wellbeing of staff and students. [1]
Today, the Green Party has congratulated all those students across England and Wales who will receive their GCSE grades, but also called on the government to provide the unused funding to help young people in the next stage of their lives.
Vix Lowthion, Green Party Lifelong Education Spokesperson and a teacher on the Isle of Wight, said:
“This year group, many of whom have missed more than six months of teaching time for these GCSEs, deserve every ounce of admiration and compassion we can offer for persevering with their studies in the middle of a pandemic.
“It is without doubt that this government has seriously failed these young people. It seems that they learned absolutely nothing from the chaos of the previous year, and have simply allowed these students to be left without the proper resources and teaching time they deserve.
“To recompense these students for the time they have missed due to the government’s mishandling of the pandemic, Gavin Williamson should now provide the unused catch-up funds to these students now to help facilitate further study or resources for their next step in life.
“We owe these students at least this much after all the challenges they have faced at such an important time.”
ENDS
Notes
1