Wales reviews education funding to secure equity and excellence for learners
The Welsh Government has today (Thursday, October 15) published an independent report into school spending in Wales.
The review was commissioned in October 2019 by Education Minister Kirsty Williams who confirmed leading education economist Luke Sibieta would take forward the analysis.
The Minister commissioned the review to offer analysis and recommendations as to how the school funding system could be adapted to best support policy goals and ambitions to improve the school system in Wales.
Setting up the review was key recommendation of the Senedd’s Children and Young People and Education committee. It was commissioned and mostly undertaken before the Covid-19 outbreak but still acknowledges the pandemic will have ‘profound implications’ for school resources and spending and will lead to ‘massive strains on public finances’.
Education Minister Kirsty Williams said:
“When this work was commissioned in October last year nobody could have known about the unprecedented strain the coronavirus pandemic would have on public sector budgets.
“I am fully aware of the real pressures that Local Authorities and schools are now facing as a consequence of the pandemic – such challenges make it even more important that a considered review of the school funding system has been undertaken to ensure it is well-placed to assist policymakers as we move forward.
“The Welsh Government is doing everything it can to ensure Wales’s public services have all the resources they need to respond to, and mitigate the impact of, the crisis.
“Now, more than ever, we need to understand the funding decisions made across Wales to secure equity and excellence for our learners.
“The publication of this report is therefore very timely as it provides evidence to enable policy makers to make informed decisions when considering funding for schools across Wales, continuing our overall aim of improving school standards and reducing inequalities.”
Breaking down the report
A number of key conclusions emerge from the review on how funding has changed, and how it is distributed across schools and areas:
Spending per learner has fallen by 6% in real-terms
This largely tracks falls in the block grant and has been accompanied by slight rises in class sizes.
There is room and evidence for higher levels of deprivation funding
The most deprived schools see higher levels of spending, but deprivation funding is relatively small outside these highly deprived schools.
There is now strong evidence showing that higher spending has a bigger impact on deprived learners and can be a valuable tool for reducing inequalities.
Similar schools experience different levels of funding
Schools with similar levels of deprivation often see differences of about £1,500 or 35% in spending per learner.
Large differences in spending across similar areas
Even after accounting for learner and school characteristics, many local authorities spend up to £300 per learner more or less than the national average.
Expected future cost pressures
In the short-run, schools costs are likely to grow if policymakers in Wales introduce starting salaries of £30,000 in order to be on a par with England. Demographic change is likely to increase the already high cost of running small schools in rural areas and demand for adult social care is likely to grow significantly, placing pressure on overall local government budgets.
The report then makes a number of recommendations to help address these challenges:
Spending decisions based on empirical evidence
A strong consensus has now emerged in academic evidence showing large positive effects of school spending, with larger effects for disadvantaged learners. Policy and spending decisions at all layers of government should reflect this evidence. Should budgets allow, this is likely to imply higher levels of deprivation funding for schools.
Fairness and transparency in funding across schools and areas
Simpler and more consistent school funding formulae across local authorities would reduce differences in funding per learner across similar schools and make the reasons for any remaining differences fully transparent. The Welsh Government and local authorities should also continue to review the local government funding formula to ensure that it fairly reflects the needs and costs across areas.
Effective scrutiny enabled by consistent and transparent data
Effective scrutiny is only possible when all stakeholders have access to clear information and data on how school funding is allocated. More consistent and detailed spending data would enable informed discussions between local authorities and schools about how best to use funding.
Clear expectations on future costs throughout the system
The Welsh Government should produce rolling multi-year assessments of the likely future growth in school costs. Whilst such estimates could never be a guarantee of future funding changes, they would improve accountability by providing a high-profile benchmark against which to judge the funding decisions made by all layers of government (UK government, Welsh Government and local authorities).
Heddiw (dydd Iau, 15 Hydref), mae Llywodraeth Cymru wedi cyhoeddi adroddiad annibynnol ar wariant ysgolion yng Nghymru.
Comisiynwyd yr adolygiad ym mis Hydref 2019 gan y Gweinidog Addysg Kirsty Williams a gadarnhaodd y byddai’r economegydd addysg blaenllaw Luke Sibieta yn mynd ati i gynnal y dadansoddiad.
Comisiynodd y Gweinidog yr adolygiad i gynnig dadansoddiad ac argymhellion ynghylch sut y gellid addasu’r system cyllido ysgolion i gefnogi nodau ac uchelgeisiau polisi yn y ffordd orau er mwyn gwella’r system ysgolion yng Nghymru.
Roedd sefydlu’r adolygiad yn un o argymhellion allweddol Pwyllgor Plant a Phobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Senedd. Cafodd ei gomisiynu a’i gynnal gan mwyaf cyn yr argyfwng Covid-19 ond mae’n dal i gydnabod y bydd gan y pandemig ‘oblygiadau difrifol’ i adnoddau a gwariant ysgolion a bydd yn arwain at ‘straen enfawr ar gyllid cyhoeddus’.
Dywedodd Kirsty Williams, y Gweinidog Addysg:
“Pan gomisiynwyd y gwaith hwn ym mis Hydref y llynedd ni allai neb fod wedi rhagweld y straen digynsail y byddai pandemig y coronafeirws yn ei gael ar gyllidebau’r sector cyhoeddus.
“Rwy’n llwyr ymwybodol o’r pwysau gwirioneddol y mae awdurdodau lleol ac ysgolion bellach yn eu hwynebu o ganlyniad i’r pandemig – mae heriau o’r fath yn ei gwneud yn bwysicach fyth cynnal adolygiad ystyriol o’r system gyllido ysgolion i sicrhau ei fod mewn sefyllfa dda i gynorthwyo llunwyr polisi wrth i ni symud ymlaen.
“Mae Llywodraeth Cymru yn gwneud popeth o fewn ei gallu i sicrhau bod gan wasanaethau cyhoeddus Cymru’r holl adnoddau sydd eu hangen arnynt i ymateb i’r argyfwng a lliniaru ei effaith.
“Nawr, yn fwy nag erioed, mae angen i ni ddeall y penderfyniadau cyllid a wneir ledled Cymru er mwyn sicrhau tegwch a rhagoriaeth i’n dysgwyr.
“Felly, mae cyhoeddi’r adroddiad hwn yn amserol iawn gan ei fod yn darparu tystiolaeth i alluogi llunwyr polisi i wneud penderfyniadau gwybodus wrth ystyried cyllid ar gyfer ysgolion ar draws Cymru, gan barhau â’n nod cyffredinol o wella safonau ysgolion a lleihau anghydraddoldebau.”
Crynhoi’r adroddiad
Daw nifer o gasgliadau allweddol i’r amlwg o’r adolygiad ar sut mae cyllid wedi newid, a sut y caiff ei ddosbarthu ar draws ysgolion ac ardaloedd:
Gwariant fesul dysgwr wedi gostwng 6% mewn termau real
Mae hyn yn olrhain gostyngiadau yn y grant bloc yn bennaf ac yn gysylltiedig â chynnydd bach ym maint dosbarthiadau.
Lle a thystiolaeth ar gyfer lefelau uwch o gyllid amddifadedd
Mae’r ysgolion mwyaf difreintiedig yn gweld lefelau uwch o wariant, ond mae’r cyllid amddifadedd yn gymharol fach y tu allan i’r ysgolion difreintiedig hyn.
Erbyn hyn ceir tystiolaeth gref bod gwariant uwch yn cael mwy o effaith ar ddysgwyr difreintiedig a gall fod yn arf gwerthfawr i leihau anghydraddoldebau.
Ysgolion tebyg yn cael gwahanol lefelau o gyllid
Mae ysgolion â lefelau tebyg o amddifadedd yn aml yn gweld gwahaniaeth o tua £1,500 neu 35% mewn gwariant fesul dysgwr.
Gwahaniaethau mawr mewn gwariant ar draws ardaloedd tebyg
Hyd yn oed ar ôl cyfrif am nodweddion dysgwyr ac ysgolion, mae llawer o awdurdodau lleol yn gwario hyd at £300 fesul dysgwr fwy neu lai na’r cyfartaledd cenedlaethol.
Pwysau disgwyliedig ar gostau yn y dyfodol
Yn y tymor byr, mae costau ysgolion yn debygol o gynyddu os bydd llunwyr polisi yng Nghymru yn cyflwyno cyflogau cychwynnol o £30,000 er mwyn bod ar yr un lefel â Lloegr. Mae newid demograffig yn debygol o gynyddu’r gost o redeg ysgolion bach mewn ardaloedd gwledig, sydd eisoes yn uchel, ac mae’r galw am ofal cymdeithasol i oedolion yn debygol o gynyddu sylweddol, gan roi pwysau ar gyllidebau cyffredinol llywodraeth leol.
Wedyn, mae’r adroddiad yn gwneud nifer o argymhellion i helpu i fynd i’r afael â’r heriau hyn:
Penderfyniadau gwariant yn seiliedig ar dystiolaeth empirig
Mae consensws cryf bellach wedi dod i’r amlwg mewn tystiolaeth academaidd sy’n dangos effeithiau cadarnhaol mawr gwariant ysgolion, gydag effeithiau mwy ar ddysgwyr difreintiedig. Dylai penderfyniadau polisi a gwariant ar bob haen o lywodraeth adlewyrchu’r dystiolaeth hon. Os bydd cyllidebau’n caniatáu, mae hyn yn debygol o awgrymu lefelau uwch o gyllid amddifadedd i ysgolion.
Tegwch a thryloywder o ran cyllid ar draws ysgolion ac ardaloedd
Byddai fformiwlâu symlach a mwy cyson ar draws awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer cyllido ysgolion yn lleihau gwahaniaethau yn y cyllid fesul dysgwr mewn ysgolion tebyg ac yn sicrhau bod y rhesymau dros unrhyw wahaniaethau sy’n weddill yn gwbl dryloyw. Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol hefyd barhau i adolygu fformiwla cyllid llywodraeth leol er mwyn sicrhau ei bod yn adlewyrchu’n deg yr anghenion a’r costau ar draws ardaloedd.
Craffu effeithiol wedi’i alluogi gan ddata cyson a thryloyw
Mae craffu effeithiol ond yn bosibl pan fydd gan yr holl randdeiliaid fynediad at wybodaeth a data clir ar sut y dyrennir cyllid ysgolion. Byddai data mwy cyson a manwl ar wariant yn galluogi trafodaethau gwybodus rhwng awdurdodau lleol ac ysgolion ynghylch y ffordd orau o ddefnyddio cyllid.
Disgwyliadau clir o ran costau’r dyfodol drwy’r system gyfan
Dylai Llywodraeth Cymru gynhyrchu asesiadau aml-flwyddyn treigl o’r cynnydd tebygol yng nghostau ysgolion yn y dyfodol. Er na all amcangyfrifon o’r fath byth fod yn warant o newidiadau ariannol yn y dyfodol, byddent yn gwella atebolrwydd drwy ddarparu meincnod proffil uchel i farnu’r penderfyniadau cyllido a wneir gan bob haen o lywodraeth (Llywodraeth y DU, Llywodraeth Cymru ac awdurdodau lleol).
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