Northern Ireland education: Warning of 'catastrophic situation' amid proposed spending cuts

The proposed cuts to education in Northern Ireland will have "catastrophic" consequences, a new report has warned.

Researchers from Ulster University, Newcastle University, Queen's University Belfast and Stranmillis University College have detailed the severe impact education cuts could have on children and young people.

The Education Authority is facing a funding gap of £200million in the budget set by Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris in the absence of a Stormont Executive.

The Assembly and Executive have not been functional for more than a year due to the DUP's ongoing protest against post-Brexit trading arrangements.

The new report argues that cuts to education are being made with minimal input from the UK Government and little say from Northern Ireland's own elected representatives, undermining the principle of political accountability and public sector equality duties, with the authors making the case for immediately ending the reliance on civil servants to make policy decisions.

Lindsey Harrison is a mother with a child with special needs.''The very vulnerable of our communities are being punished. Those inequalities are still existing and discrimination. It's unacceptable," she told UTV.

''I would call on the secretary of State to step up to the mark and step in to help our SEN community.''

Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, of Ulster University, who convened the group of researchers, said the cuts would hit families especially hard as they try to navigate the cost-of-living crisis.

"The cuts to education will undoubtedly increase poverty and hardship for many households in Northern Ireland, but particularly those with the lowest incomes - such as those children entitled to free school meals," she said.

"These cuts are coming at a time when high inflation doggedly persists, with food prices rising at a startling rate.

"The loss of holiday hunger payments will cause significant harm to children and their families, and there will undoubtedly be children who will not receive the nutrition they need to thrive."

She added: 'We're going to see hungry children. We're going to see a deepening mental health crisis. Children in Northern Ireland and young people are already.

"25% more likely to have a mental health issue. We have a higher rate of suicide. We're going to see a widening educational attainment gap between those most advantaged pupils and those most disadvantaged pupils.

"Ultimately, this is going to have a broad impact on our economy. We're not going to be able to achieve economic prosperity.''

The cuts are also predicted to disproportionately impact the most educationally disadvantaged children and young people.

The report suggests that the situation for children with special educational needs (SEN) is particularly severe.

The Education Authority's budget for the transformation of the SEN system is due to be cut by 50%, despite the fact that there has been a 24% increase in the number of children with statements over the past five years, with hundreds of children awaiting specialist placements for September.

The report's overarching finding is that cuts will have an unfair cumulative impact on groups which are already disadvantaged, in terms of their experience of education provision.

The Permanent Secretary of Education Department Dr Mark Browne says the cuts will cause real problems.

“The cuts will have a very significant impact, and they are very difficult decisions to take,” he said.

“I go out and I visit schools regularly so I understand the difficult conditions schools are already facing, and these additional reductions in budget are going to create real problems for schools that impact significantly on these children who are disadvantaged and are going to increase the pressure on our principals and teachers who are doing their best in very difficult circumstances.”

The authors have stated the short-term savings will be dwarfed by the costs of poverty, deprivation and mental health issues in the longer run.

Professor Noel Purdy, of Stranmillis University College, said the budget currently facing education was the most punishing the department has ever experienced.

"This is a catastrophic situation for the provision of education in Northern Ireland," he said.

"It is the most punitive budget that has ever been delivered to the Department of Education, at a time when more support is needed to account for the pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis.

"The cuts will further exacerbate educational underachievement for those children already identified as having persistent low attainment rates, including children entitled to free school meals, ethnic minority children and children in care.

"Furthermore, the special educational needs system is on its knees and is failing to ensure appropriate access to education for the most vulnerable children in our society.

"Unless we see urgent transformation, policy progression and real investment, the system faces collapse."

A spokeswoman for the Northern Ireland Office said that this year's budget allocation from the UK Government gave Northern Ireland's Department of Education a total allocation of £2.6billion.

"The decisions required to live within this budget continue to rest with the Northern Ireland departments.

"We are clear that we hope NI parties will restore locally elected, accountable and effective devolved government as soon as possible, which is the best way to govern Northern Ireland."

The report titled The Consequences of the Cuts to Education for Children and Young People in Northern Ireland was launched at Currie Primary School on Tuesday.

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