The Institute for Fiscal Studies today stated that health spending will have increased more than 40% from 2010 to 2025, while education spending will have risen by less than 3 percent.
According to IFS, yesterday’s updated spending figures following Rishi’s Budget showed a’remarkable dearth of priority for the education system since 2010′.
The influential think tank asked how education funding levels were ‘consistent with’ the Government’s levelling up’ agenda.
Downing Street stated that there are no excuses by the Government for increasing health spending. It insists that it is’something people want to see’.
Between 2010-2025, the health spending will have risen by more than 40%. Education spending will rise by less 3 percent.
According to IFS, the IFS stated that the updated spending figures after Rishi Sunak’s Budget yesterday revealed a’remarkable dearth of priority for the education system since 2010.
Paul Johnson, the director at the IFS, stated that Whitehall departmental funding increases included in the Budget were’real and substantial.
He stated that no department will see a reduction in its overall budget, but that spending levels in many areas will remain substantially lower in 2024-25 than in 2010.
He stated that the most striking contrast is in the different paths taken for education and health spending.
“Over this spending review period, education spending is expected to rise by approximately 2% per year, against a 4% increase for the department of health and social care.
“Over the entire period between 2010 and now, however, health spending will have increased more than 40%, while education spending will have decreased by less than 3 percent.
“The fact that per pupil spending on schools will have returned at 2010 levels by 2024, is perhaps an indication of a remarkable lack in priority for the education system since 2010.
Despite the fact that economic growth has been slow, it’s been a decade and a half without any growth in spending.
“Spending per student in sixth form colleges and FE will remain well below 2010 levels. This is not a set or priorities that will support a long-term growth strategy. Or indeed levelling up.’
Downing Street defended the Government’s spending priorities as the Prime Minister’s Official Spokesman said: ‘I think the Government is responding to the reality of the situation we find ourselves in and I think the IFS has made that point themselves.
From 2021 to 2025, the budget for the Department of Health and Social Care will rise by an additional 4.1%
The IFS predicts that total departmental budgets will rise by three percent in the next three years.
‘I think if you take the two things, on health obviously we have been responding to a global pandemic and also more broadly an ageing population who thanks to improvements in health are living longer.
‘That is a challenge that is faced globally so you would expect investment in our NHS, we know that is something the public want to see.
‘Supporting our NHS is the right thing to do and we make no apologies for doing so.’
The spokesman added: ‘On education it is simply the case that we are massively increasing funding for education and that will rise to 2010 levels.’