Don't Abandon Disadvantaged Students in the UK!
- par: Care2.com
- destinataire: Education Secretary Michael Gove
Over 2,000 schools in England receive funding for each disadvantaged student enrolled. The goal is to improve students' school performance while exposing them to a variety of enriching activities.
But not all schools have spent the premiums with low income students' needs in mind.
The coalition's intent for the premiums is to level the playing field between disadvantaged children and those of more comfortable means. If effective, the premiums have the potential to give 65,000 children opportunities their economic background would otherwise not allow, such as extra lessons or field trip experiences.
But one in six schools puts the money toward equipment, uniforms, and other educationally irrelevant expenses. Students who need food, academic support, and access to supplemental learning tools lose out even more when schools throw their funds away.
Tell Ofsted to make sure pupil premiums help the students who need a financial boost by holding school accountable.
Dear Education Secretary Grove and Schools Minister Laws,
I'm pleased that the academic advancement of children from low income families is a national priority. However, I'm concerned that a percentage of schools have taken advantage of pupil premiums in ways that do not directly benefit the children they were intended for initially.
[Your comments]Pupil premiums will only give students academic opportunities if their teachers use the money wisely. I understand that you do not intend to micromanage head teachers' spending, but I insist on a more thorough evaluation system with set criteria of acceptable expenditures.
Sincerely,
[Your name]
