COVID-19: Education stimulus package criticized as inadequate amid reported feuds in Whitehall over costs | Political news

A COVID bailout to help children in England catch up on lost lessons, costing £ 1.4 billion, is unveiled by the government.

But plans to add half an hour to the school day, extending it from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., have reportedly been postponed after a row in Whitehall over the cost.

As part of the recovery plan, students aged 17 and 18 will have the opportunity to repeat their last year if they have been seriously affected by COVID.

The government says children across England will be offered up to 100 million hours of free lessons to help them catch up on learning lost during the pandemic.

The plan was put together by Sir Kevan Collins, appointed the government’s COVID catch-up czar in April, who says there are “three T’s” at his heart: overtime, teaching and tutoring.

But extending the school day or shortening the summer vacation is now under consideration as Sir Kevan battles the Treasury for around £ 15bn to fund longer schedule plans, Chancellor Rishi Sunak being supposed to “push back against them” because of the massive cost.

Writing in The Daily Telegraph, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said: “One would imagine, intuitively, that combining this tutoring with more time in the school day would have an impact.

“But I do agree that this is a major step. That is why I am launching a formal review of the evidence.”

The £ 1.4bn includes £ 1bn to support up to six million 15-hour tutoring courses for underprivileged children, as well as to expand tuition fees from 16 to 19, targeting subjects keys such as math and english.

But the funding has been denounced as insufficient by Labor, unions and education activists, who say the money the government pledges over three years is just £ 50 per student per year.

“This announcement mocks the Prime Minister’s claim that education is a priority,” said Kate Green, Labor Education Secretary.

“His own education …