THE Chancellor was right to increase funding for sixth form students in last week’s Budget but wrong to focus this increase so narrowly on the number of additional students studying maths.
Schools and colleges should receive sufficient funding to provide all young people with the high quality, internationally competitive, education they deserve – irrespective of the subjects they choose to study.
Limiting the additional funding to maths sends out the unhelpful message that equally demanding subjects are not as valuable.
Student demand should drive subject choice at A-level, not financial incentives from the Government.
It is unlikely that the funding will lead to a significant increase in the number of students taking maths and £600 per additional student is unlikely to be sufficient to pay for qualified maths staff to deliver the courses.
This policy is no substitute for funding all sixth form students fairly and sufficiently and that is what we urge the Government to do.
NICK BURNHAM, Chair of the Sixth Form Colleges Association KATHRYN PODMORE, Chair of the North West region of the association, which includes Priestley
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