In response to the Government’s announcement of a £1.4 billion school catch-up plan, Labour’s London Assembly Economy Spokesperson, Marina Ahmad AM, said:
“This paltry funding is barely a tenth of what is actually needed to address the needs of our children who have faced almost two school years of disruption to their learning.
“It really is a huge let-down for children in our capital who are more likely to live below the poverty line than anywhere else in the UK.
“Young Londoners will have been disproportionately affected by the school closures and the knock-on impacts of issues such as digital exclusion, a lack of adequate space to do their work at home, limited access to play space and serious mental health concerns, which are not being addressed. All of these issues and more have been continually highlighted by schools. The Government needs to listen.
“What we need to urgently see from Government is not only a much larger funding pot, but a much wider package of support for breakfast clubs, after school clubs, real one-to-one support and expanded programmes of extra-curricular activities”.
ENDS