Yet again this year schools are being asked to make financial cuts which are unreasonable and which will affect negatively the education of our young people. The Association of Principal Teachers in Integrated Schools (APTIS) would like to add our voice to other principals and relevant organisations, who have raised urgent concerns regarding the further budget cuts and financial constraints imposed upon schools this incoming year.

The aggregated schools’ budget is being cut on the surface by 0.8%, and this comes at a time when schools have to pay a 3.4% rise in employer National Insurance contributions along with rises in employer superannuation (4.1%) and a cost of living pay rise between 1% and 2.2%. To date schools have yet to be fully compensated by the Department of Education for these extra costs which further stretch their budgets; effectively this can amount in fact to a savage budget cut of over 4% . Many schools will have to make tough if not impossible decisions under current funding levels. Sadly it will be the children who lose out as these measures will have a detrimental effect on all pupils, including those who particularly need support.

We share the very real anxiety of other school principals that such cuts will result in loss of staff, meaning larger class sizes and areas of the curriculum being under-resourced. In addition there is an added concern for Grant Maintained Integrated schools, who are not permitted to operate a deficit within their budgets.

Chairperson of APTIS, Heather Watson – the Principal of Phoenix Integrated Primary School in Cookstown – said,

“We concur with recent comments from other Principals in relation to budget cuts. Over the last few years we have taken our lead from the Minister to “be creative” in managing reduced budgets despite year on year cuts. However, this is not sustainable for any school and the situation will only have a detrimental effect on provision for pupils.”

Roisin Marshall, CEO of NICIE, commented:

“‘We are extremely concerned that such budget cuts will have a negative effect on integrated schools and ultimately on the provision of a high standard of education.  Schools work hard to deliver the curriculum to a wide ability of pupils and pride themselves in their innovation and commitment to all the children in their care.  Such cuts will mean they will have to make difficult decisions concerning redundancies, class sizes and subject choice.”

Cuts to education are both unmanageable and short-sighted, because it is through education that we build a better future. For the sake of our children and our economic recovery, we appeal to political parties to prioritise Education in the coming assembly elections and beyond.  As future citizens and those who will build the society of tomorrow, our children and young people deserve and need this investment.