ATL

ATL comment on funding for an extra 2,300 school and college places for the over 16s

Martin Freedman, head of pay, conditions and pensions and at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said:

"We are pleased there will be money for post-16 students, to reflect the reality that schools and colleges have more applicants in the recession but lacked adequate funding. However, there are important questions as to whether this £11 million will be sufficient to provide places for all the over16s who want to stay in education amid record levels of youth unemployment, and from which education budget the £11 million is being cut?"

Notes to editors:

1. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is an independent, registered trade union and professional association, representing approximately 160,000 teachers, headteachers, lecturers and support staff in maintained and independent nurseries, schools, sixth form, tertiary and further education colleges in the United Kingdom.
2. ATL exists to help members, as their careers develop, through first-rate research, advice, information and legal advice.
3. ATL is affiliated to the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU), European Trade Union Committee for Education (ETUCE) and Education International (EI). The union is a member of the social partnership - working with the UK government, employers and other unions on education issues. ATL is not affiliated to any political party and seeks to work constructively with all the main political parties.