Despite the Prime Minister’s pledges on Building Back Better and Levelling Up, the resignation of Sir Kevan Collins has highlighted a disturbing truth: supporting babies, children and young people to recover from the impact of the pandemic is still not a priority for Government investment.
That’s why NYAS has joined the cross-sector group of over 140 educationalists, charities, business leaders, unions and young people calling on the Government to urgently boost investment in children and young people as part of the pandemic recovery measures.
While researchers estimate that £13.5bn is needed to help children recover from a year of disruption, isolation and anxiety, the Chancellor has committed to spend only one tenth of this amount.
Children and young people have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic, whilst it has deepened the existing crisis in funding for the education of disadvantaged children. This generation of children have faced unprecedented threats to their childhoods. They deserve an unprecedented response.
Our joint statement calls on the Government to set out a new and ambitious vision of childhood and education to support children, young people and their families to recover from the impact of COVID-19, with #ChildrenAtTheHeart.
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