UCU: FE Funding Now

Motion

Motion text: FE has faced some of the deepest funding cuts across the education system in
England. The Institute for Fiscal Studies reports that between 2010 and 2020
funding per student in colleges dropped by 14% in real terms. While funding has
increased in recent years, the real term spend is below 2010 levels. Even with
the £300 million cash boost for colleges allocated for 2025/2026, rising student
numbers and inflation mean that any gains are wiped out. (IFS: “Why 2025 is a
critical year for FE Funding”).
Conference recognises the extremely important social role played by Further
Education in the UK and instructs the NEC to call on the UK Government to
dramatically increase its investment in the education sector and to place a
balanced emphasis on the importance of Further Education.