If Dame Rachel de Souza wants to help young people, she should go all out to boost funding for schools
A new education secretary, Nadhim Zahawi, is in post, and the first big piece of work by the recently appointed children’s commissioner for England, Dame Rachel de Souza, is on his desk. Parents and everyone else who cares about young people can only hope that their partnership proves powerful enough to win the resources that the sector desperately needs.
The Big Ask survey sought the views of children themselves, and received more than half a million responses. The standout issue was mental health, with one in five pupils aged 9-17 reporting concerns, and older teenage girls in poorer areas among the most vulnerable. Dame Rachel’s pitch to ministers, ahead of the autumn spending review, is for a “new deal” for schools in England, incorporating a major boost in funding and increased focus on pastoral support.
