Education leaders in Northern Ireland have demanded an end to the “cycle of chronic underfunding”.
In a joint letter to Northern Ireland secretary Chris Heaton-Harris, the chief executives of the seven main education bodies say that pupils should be treated like those in the rest of the UK.
The move comes with the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive still suspended, a situation that has left senior civil servants to manage departments with limited powers.
In the absence of ministers, Mr Heaton-Harris set a budget amid challenging financial circumstances, with Stormont having two years to pay off an almost £300 million overspend.
Earlier this year Mr Heaton-Harris announced that an allocation of £75 million for Northern Ireland in the Autumn Statement would be used to reduce Stormont’s overspend.
The education leaders’ letter states: “Our children and young people in Northern Ireland continue to be let down by the increasing challenges resulting from over a decade of chronic underfunding.”
Northern Ireland school funding ‘unsustainable’
They “implore” Mr Heaton-Harris “to end this cycle and treat our children and young people equitably”.
They highlight ongoing industrial action by teachers and school support workers over pay, as well as “inadequate funding” for the the school estate and increasing demand for support for pupils with special educational needs.
“Our staff are the very bedrock of the education system, ensuring that our children have the opportunity to attain the best start in life,” they say.
The letter states: “The underinvestment that has continued over the past financial year exacerbates an already unsustainable situation.
“Steps have already been taken to reduce expenditure. However, our joint concern is that without equitable investment, outcomes for all our children and young people will be compromised.”
The seven education leaders add: “The Department of Education has had to make difficult decisions over the past year resulting in the removal of a number of programmes and funding streams that supported the Covid recovery and alleviated the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on our children and young people.”
They tell Mr Heaton-Harris that it is “critical that education in Northern Ireland is funded equitably in line with other UK regions”, adding: “A child in Strabane should be entitled to the same level of investment as a child in Sunderland, Swansea or Stirling.”
The letter is signed by Sara Long, chief executive of the Education Authority; Roisin Marshall, chief executive of the Council for Integrated Education; Gerry Campbell, chief executive of CCEA (Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment); Nuala O’Neill, chief executive of the Governing Bodies Association NI; Eve Bremner, chief executive of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools; Mark Baker, chief executive of the Controlled Schools’ Support Council; and Maria Thomasson, chief executive of Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta.
