16 Dec Education Budget Reduction
Dear Parents/Guardians
You are probably aware from recent media coverage that the education budget is under severe pressure and that overall spending is to be reduced considerably. The Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI) has issued a consultation document explaining the funding position at the end of November. The website address is http://www.deni.gov.uk/news/news-de-251114-department-of-education.htm.
Schools, teachers and parents are invited to respond to the DENI proposal to cut school budgets by 7 per cent. The deadline is 29 December. I would ask you to support the view that a 7 per cent cut to school budgets will fundamentally undermine children’s life chances and that a new approach is essential. Respondents are asked to email DENI at: budgetconsultation@deni.gov.uk.
I would also encourage you to contact your local representatives such as MPs and MLAs. In making a response the following points are worth highlighting.
Schools are not asking to be immune from their share of financial difficulty, but the proposal to solve the financial problems of Northern Ireland by taking away our children’s future life chances is unbelievably short sighted both for them and for our future economic survival. While other jurisdictions have protected funding for education, we are proposing to deprioritise our most precious resource – our children. As parents and as a society we have a duty to do our very best for them and put their needs before considerations of politics or economics. Given that schools have already absorbed significant budget cuts in the last few years, any further budget reductions will now seriously impact on the pupil learning experience.
In Northern Ireland historically only 60 per cent of education funding goes directly to schools as the Aggregated Schools Budget, compared to 80 per cent in the rest of the UK. Up to now our schools have managed to compete successfully UK wide for university admissions and jobs for pupils in spite of this funding handicap. What is currently proposed will inevitably undermine every aspect of school life. In practical terms this will mean:
- Significant reduction in teachers and support staff and therefore cuts to subject choices at A Level and GCSE
- Increased competiveness for places in sixth forms
- Bigger class sizes
- Loss of minority/specialist qualifications
- Decreased opportunities for pupils
- A poorer quality learning environment
Yours sincerely
E Martin
Principal