A union has issued a stark warning over what it says is Stormont’s ongoing failure to address the teacher workload and retention crisis.
The underfunding of Special Educational Needs (SEN) and inaction on key education policies is under the spotlight as delegates meet in Belfast today.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation’s (INTO) annual conference is being held at the Europa Hotel.
Northern Secretary Mark McTaggart expressed frustration that teachers here were once again engaged in industrial action over pay and workload issues.
He highlighted that despite securing a three-year pay deal in 2023, the 2024-25 settlement remained unresolved, leaving teachers in financial limbo while their counterparts in England had already received a 5.5% pay increase.
Addressing SEN, Mr McTaggart warned that government reports and policy statements remained “aspirational with little action to support teachers on the ground”.
The Department of Education’s End-to-End Review of SEN, which outlined over 200 recommendations including early identification and intervention, better training, and increased workforce investment, will need proper resourcing if it is to make a difference, he said.
“A major shortfall in funding means schools remain critically under-resourced,” he said.
“Every teacher across the North is teaching children with a wide variety of complex needs. Resources, both personnel and physical, have to be made available to help our teachers meet the needs of these students.
“The Education and Training Inspectorate reported a 36% increase in children with SEN statements over the past five years, yet funding had not kept pace. Schools were struggling to find adequate space, recruit qualified staff, and provide necessary resources such as breakout spaces and sensory rooms.”
Mr McTaggart called for non-teaching SENCOs (special educational needs co-ordinators) in every school “to relieve the overwhelming bureaucratic burden on teachers and school leaders, allowing them to focus on delivering high-quality education.”
Thousands of teachers at city hall Belfast for strike over pay and work conditions
The role of school governors also came under scrutiny, with Mr McTaggart warning that overzealous governance was creating unnecessary stress for teachers and school leaders.
He urged a review of governance structures to ensure fair and independent appeal processes for teachers facing workplace issues.
Mr McTaggart challenged the lack of funding clarity for the proposed extension of the school leaving age to 18, as well as the introduction of an additional managing authority for controlled schools, which he described as an unnecessary duplication of resources.
“When a pot is full, if you find something extra needs to be put in, take something out first,” he said.
“For too many years, school leaders and teachers have new initiatives foisted upon them without consultation, without proper resourcing, and without considering their already overwhelming workloads.”
Closing his address, he pledged that INTO would continue to hold the government accountable, ensuring that teachers were heard, valued, and supported. He made it clear that the union would continue to take whatever action was necessary to ensure that the voice of the members was listened to.
“Our members must be consulted,” he said. “They must know what value changes bring to them and their pupils.
“They must know what resources and training come with new initiatives – and most importantly, what will be removed from their workload to accommodate them.
“If they see value, if they have ownership, then and only then can change succeed.”