NI Schools In Funding Crisis

Politicians in Northern Ireland have warned that the financial crisis facing the education system is reaching its breaking point, and called for the restoration of power-sharing to manage the "exacerbated" issue.

It comes after the publication of the final 2018/19 enrolment figures by the Department of Education, which revealed that an extra 2,500 pupils were enrolled- 1,700 in post-primary schools and a further 800 in primary education.

Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA said the worsening situation must be addressed urgently to allow every child a high quality education.

Speaking after hosting a crisis session for head teachers at Stormont, he said: "Alliance has consistently called for a Bengoa-style review of education and in the meantime, I have regularly met with parents, schools and other interested groups - they are all clear there is a growing financial crisis. We need to address this situation and do it now. That can begin by removing the needless duplication of services across education to ensure every child and young person receives the education they are entitled to."

The east Belfast MLA added: "Unfortunately, that is not going to happen in the absence of Executive Ministers to take decisions. I once again call on those parties tasked with forming an Executive to do so, so we can introduce the reforms needed to ensure our education system becomes structured and resourced enough to allow our schools to deliver the high quality education they are capable of."

Meanwhile, Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson Rosemary Barton MLA, a former teacher of 30 years, has said the recent budget announcement will do nothing to allay the serious pressures facing schools.

She commented: "A record number are already in a deficit position and as a result the Education Authority is likely to record yet another major overspend this year- this time in excess of £30m. Schools in recent years have been trying to cut down on costs by reducing the numbers of teachers and classroom assistants they are employing. As a result, class sizes generally have swelled.

"Yet with a rapidly increasing pupil population those class sizes are growing even faster and now I fear that some schools are having to choose between inappropriate staffing levels or spending money that they simply do not have just in order to meet the needs of their pupils.

"There is a major challenge in education funding right across Northern Ireland and it's clear the current model is no longer fit for purpose. Yet in the absence of a local Minister or functioning Assembly it would appear inevitable that the problem is only set to get worse. The situation cannot continue. Either we establish a local Executive to get on with the things that matter most to people, or the Secretary of State should stop sitting on the fence and introduce Direct Rule," the UUP MLA concluded.



(JG/CM)