The education system in Northern Ireland will remain in a ‘state of crisis’ without a serious investment in schools, a union has warned.
The stark warning came amid calls for a substantial increase in funding after decades of budget cuts.
At the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) Northern Conference in Belfast at the weekend, members heard the failure to provide schools with adequate funding was leading to an exodus of teaching staff.
In turn that has resulted in increased class sizes, a loss of classroom assistants and support staff, cuts to Special Educational Needs provision, and reduction in resources for ICT and transport provision.
At the end of 2023, the launch of the Independent Review of Education warned that education here has suffered from significant real terms cuts over the past 13 years.
It warned that learners in Northern Ireland were at a disadvantage compared to their peers in other jurisdictions.
Marie O’Shea, INTO assistant Northern Secretary, said: “A first action, ahead of any work to address the flawed funding formulae or wider system-level budgetary pressures, is to ensure that schools are consulted urgently as to what funding they actually require to meet the needs of their children and that funding must be made available directly to school budgets, for the sake of our children and young people.
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“The NI Executive needs to prioritise education and educational funding and develop a strategy that ensures funding is secured and index linked for at least the next decade.
“This is not just about education; it’s about the future of our society. We need a long-term strategy that protects education from austerity and puts it at the centre of government policy.”
There were further calls for increased investment and resources to meet the needs of children and young people with special educational needs (SEN) in special and mainstream schools.
Members voiced concerns and frustration regarding the increasing demand for provision across Northern Ireland and the impact of inappropriate placements on the educational experience and long-term outcomes of pupils.
INTO Northern chairperson Geraldine McGowan said: “Northern Ireland’s education system is at a breaking point, and it is imperative that we invest in our schools, support our teachers and ensure that every child, especially those with special educational needs, receives the resources they deserve.”
The Department of Education said Education Minister Paul Givan “continues to make the case for increased and sustained investment in the education sector. Education has been significantly underfunded.
“This is independently evidenced by not only the Institute for Fiscal Studies in its last two comparisons of school spending per pupil across the United Kingdom, but also the Independent Review of Education’s report, Investing in a Better Future,” it added.
“Education will require substantially more funding if we are to avoid a significant and detrimental impact on our children and young people.”