Budget cuts could lead to shorter school days, warn principals

Education is at a "crossroads" with stripped back budgets potentially leading to shorter school days and fewer subjects being taught, the heads of some of Northern Ireland's biggest schools have said.

In an unusual joint statement, school leaders have echoed warnings from the Department of Education (DE) that "painful cuts" are imminent.

BBC News NI has also seen a presentation delivered by the department's top official to school heads on Friday, in which he warned that "extreme measures" would be needed to save money.

The Education Minister, Paul Givan, blamed Sinn Féin for "unilaterally" publishing a draft multi-year budget which he warned would have "devastating consequences" for schools.

The draft budget, published by Finance Minister John O'Dowd of Sinn Féin three weeks ago, has not yet been agreed by other executive parties but has been heavily criticied by the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).

On Friday, the Department of Education's interim Permanent Secretary Ronnie Armour took part in an online presentation about the proposed budget.

Armour told about 300 school leaders that the savings required were "unprecedented".

Givan told reporters on Monday that he will meet O'Dowd later this week to discuss the issue.

"I'll be outlining very clearly the financial consequences of the Sinn Féin draft budget, that he published unilaterally, in terms of how that will impact upon our schools.

"He decided to put that out to public consultation and I think he's getting the reaction which I anticipated, particularly from our school leaders, as they realise the devastating consequences that it would have for our school system."

O'Dowd's draft budget outlined proposed allocations for all Stormont departments for the next three financial years.

Education did get a small increase in its budget, but Givan said that cuts to school transport, staff, and funding for SureStart and youth services were likely.

Education is also set to overspend its budget by about £250m, which would lead to a reduced budget next year.

O'Dowd said that he would listen to other ministers and parties if they had alternatives, but that it was "simply not possible to provide any department with the funding it has requested".

The First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, also said executive ministers should do all they can to agree a multi-year budget.

She said the funding on offer from London was "inadequate" and that all ministers had hard choices to make.

Representatives from the Catholic Heads Association (CHA), the Association of School and College Leaders Northern Ireland (ASCL NI) and organisations representing voluntary and controlled grammar schools have issued an unusual joint statement on the proposed budget.

The organisations speak for governors, school leaders and finance managers of many post-primary schools in Northern Ireland.

"The finances distributed to schools have already been stretched to breaking point by successive cuts, and all reasonable, cost-reducing steps have been exhausted," they said.

They said that schools were facing a "crisis" outside their control, and called the proposed multi-year budget "completely unrealistic".

"Northern Ireland Education is at a crossroads," they added.

They also urged parents, staff and the public to respond to the consultation on the draft budget.

The principal of Regent House School in Newtownards, Michael Carville, told BBC News NI that as it was one of the largest schools in Northern Ireland with 1,500 pupils, "our scale protects us more than other schools".

"Despite this, the projected cuts would have a devastating impact on our provision," he said.

"If school teaching levels fall it will cause a loss of subject offer, schools will only offer limited GCSE and A Level subjects, with pupils having fewer opportunities to delve deeper into their interests and narrow their career options."

Speaking to BBC Radio Ulster's Good Morning Ulster, Fiona Kane, Principal of St Ronan's College Lurgan said "it's just an absolute pressure cooker at the moment".

"We really are at crisis point now," she added.

"We really are going to have to make some serious decisions," she added.

Ian Matthews, Principal of Rathfriland High School, said that should further cuts be made he thinks, "students would notice a significant difference to their school experience".

"I would face real pressure to reduce funding for simple things like transport for school trips, sports fixtures, those would be some of the early casualties."

"Inevitably the number of hours pupils are in school will have to decrease," Carville continued.

"Either school days will be shortened, or pupils will attend for less days in the week.

"Not only will this impact the quality of learning it will have a very negative impact on more vulnerable students who need pastoral support to overcome the challenges they face."

He also said that pupils would be exposed to less sport, music, drama and personal development opportunities.

Michael McAuley from ASCL NI said that what was proposed in the draft budget would be "absolutely devastating for our children and young people".

"Even with widespread redundancies, cuts to maintenance and repairs across the school estate and shelving executive priorities such as the Early Learning and Childcare scheme, it is almost impossible to see how the necessary savings can be made," he said.