Calls to protect education budgets reach Senedd debate
Members of the Senedd will debate the level of education funding in Wales on this week following a petition signed by more than 11,000 people.
The Petitioner called on the Welsh Government “to protect funding in education from Welsh Government and Local Authority cuts”, citing concerns about councils publishing budgets with “massive cuts to education budget(s)”.
This financial year, nearly £3.9 billion will be spent on schools in Wales, equating to £8,616 per pupil. Figures show this is the highest spend in real terms since 2014.
Of that total, about £3.9 billion comes via local authorities and £402 million is direct spending from the Welsh Government’s central education budget.
Education funding in Wales is mostly distributed through the annual local government settlement.
This is not ring-fenced, meaning councils decide how much of the money they allocate to schools.
Councils also split their education funding across central services, school budgets and direct allocations to individual schools, in line with School Funding (Wales) Regulations 2010.
The Welsh Local Government Association (WLGA) has warned that schools are under “inflationary pressures”, with pay accounting for around 80% of cost increases.
It said school budgets are “starting from an already fragile position”.
The WLGA reported an estimated shortfall of £400 million across council services in 2024-25, forcing difficult decisions. It added:
“Councils have reported £92m of in-year pressures added to school budgets for 2024-25, which is well over double that reported in the pressures survey for the previous year. Whilst this is concerning, what worsens the situation is the fact reserves have largely been depleted so no longer remain the option they were in previous years.[…]. The future pressures that schools are facing is sobering, showing £122m in 2025-26, with a further £111m and £112m in 2026-27 and 2027-28 respectively.”
A particular focus of the petition is support for children with additional learning needs (ALN).
The WLGA said that “all schools are seeing an increase in both the numbers of learners with additional learning needs and in the complexity of those needs”, with the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Act 2018 “cited as the main reason for the escalation in costs.”
The Welsh Government told the Petitions Committee: “Local authorities and schools are responsible for providing a suitable education for all learners, including those with additional learning needs (ALN). It is for local authorities to determine how to spend the total resources available to them in order to best meet their local needs.”
The Children, Young People and Education Committee is examining the new ALN system and has already recommended a review of how funding is allocated. The Cabinet Secretary for Education will give evidence at a final session on 23 October.
The Senedd debate on the petition will take place in Plenary on Wednesday 24 September
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