NASUWT – The Teachers’ Union has condemned the prospect of large‑scale cuts to education in Northern Ireland, warning that the measures being considered would cause irreversible harm to children, schools and communities.
It is being reported the Education Authority has been asked to deliver savings on a scale that would strip away essential services, a prospect that will cause alarm across the education service.
NASUWT General Secretary Matt Wrack said:
“These cuts are a direct attack on children’s futures and on the education service across Northern Ireland. You cannot take hundreds of millions out of an education system already stretched to breaking point without devastating consequences.
“Schools are already struggling to meet the needs of pupils, particularly the most vulnerable. Further cuts will mean fewer staff, reduced support, and children being denied the education and care they deserve.
“This is not about efficiency it is abandonment. Ministers must step back from the brink and commit to properly funding education so that every child in Northern Ireland can thrive.”
NASUWT National Official Northern Ireland Justin McCamphill said:
“This is has come as a real shock. Parents, teachers and school leaders will be very apprehensive.
“Education is a cornerstone of any civilised society. When governments slash school budgets, they are making a political choice and it is teachers, school staff and of course children who pay the price.
“When austerity is forced onto essential services communities suffer, inequality deepens, and opportunities are lost. These proposed cuts must be stopped.”
