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‘Catastrophic’ cuts for Northern Ireland schools
Thursday, 28 January 2010
enlargeNorthern Ireland’s schools are facing job losses and a cut in classroom funding due to a serious budget crisis at the Department of Education, it can be revealed today.
In a letter to the education committee, Education Minister Caitriona Ruane has warned that action needs to be taken during the 2010/11 financial year to secure significant budget savings and that this will involve “pain”.
The letter, dated January 14, asks committee members to give their views on possible savings.
Mervyn Storey, DUP chair of the committee, described it as a “crisis situation”, and UUP education spokesman Basil McCrea said it was “catastrophic”.
The minister stressed in her correspondence: “...the scale of the pressures facing education is such it will simply not be possible to avoid some reduction in funding direct to the classroom.”
Explaining the scale of the problem, the minister added: “The extent of savings to be delivered from the education budget in 2010-11 is significant with some £51.7m (2.6%) to be found from current expenditure and £22m (11.5%) on capital investment.
“In addition to this there are a number of other pressures on the education budget totalling around £40m which need to be addressed.”
She said it is clear there are no additional resources available to the Executive.
In her letter, Ms Ruane said a key issue will be to “reduce bureaucracy and streamline delivery of administration in education”.
Overall, the department will have to find savings amounting to 5% of its current expenditure budget for next year.
The minister added: “It simply will not be possible to do without pain and as over 70% of the education budget is salary costs there may inevitably have to be staff reductions to deliver reductions on this scale.”
She requests the committee forwards its ideas by February 12.
Mr McCrea, an education committee member, said: “The financial situation within education is absolutely dire and catastrophic.
“Cuts to frontline services appear inevitable but we need to focus our attention and do our best to minimise the damage.
“People need to be aware of this issue and should not underestimate the pain coming down the line.”
Mr Storey said: “This is a very serious financial crisis and puts the commitment we have given to build new schools in desperate need under serious question.
“However, having ignored the education committee over the issue of school transfer, I think it will be difficult for the education committee to be constructive in dealing with a problem that Caitriona Ruane should be dealing with as minister.”
Mark Langhammer, director of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers in Northern Ireland, said: “Before anyone starts scalping resources from the front line, we need to look very closely at administrative costs.
“Almost 40% of the education budget in Northern Ireland is spent on administration. There needs to be a radical shift to free up money to go to the frontline.
“It would be indefensible to fund sectoral bodies in advance of funding education in the classroom.”
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£100 million saving in a wink of an eye:
No segregation. No Grammar - Secondary divisions, no Irish Schools. All our children taught together in modern, hi tech institutions.
Posted by dave | 29.01.10, 14:44 GMT
Boards of Education could look again at the huge amount of money they spend providing a door to door taxi service for hundreds of youngsters who do not want to come to school.
Boards could look at their present policy concerning pupil compensation claims. Many claims are very suspect. In response to such dubious claims Boards of Educ. always adopt a ‘roll over and die’ policy and settle out of court. Board lethargy as regards claims has given rise to an attitude among some parents that Boards of Educ. can successfully be milked as money-trees.
Perhaps the Department of Educ. could look a the vast amount of education money spent on duplication of resources solely to protect the special mystical Catholic school 'ethos'. The Department, unlike anywhere else in the U K, funds two parallel education systems that are totally divisive and separate our children on religious grounds at birth! Great for encouraging tolerance and mutual understanding-not!
Posted by T J McClean | 29.01.10, 09:21 GMT
It's time to de-segregate Northern Ireland's schools. Millions of pounds are wasted each year by segregating four and five year old children down religious lines. This money would be better spent on new buildings, teachers and classroom assistants.
It's time we wised up.
Posted by WH | 28.01.10, 15:19 GMT
I agree with Mark Langhammer in that too much, as in many public services, is spent on administration.
Additionally, there is huge waste and unnecessary spending within schools, examples including buying scrummage machines in excess of £3000 and £25000 sound systems for the yearly play.
Ms Ruane should learn that front line staff is education's most vital resource (with the few exceptions).
Posted by robbo | 28.01.10, 13:56 GMT
Caitriona Ruane risks to become the legend ... unfortunately not in the "white" list.
Posted by Vic | 28.01.10, 12:37 GMT
I fear for the current state of the Northern Ireland education system, once recognised as the best in the UK. The recent expulsion of the Eleven Plus from the education system has now been followed by the inclusion of another form of transfer examination. How much pressure much the current 10 and 11 year old children wanting to go to Grammar school be under? Now, the education system requires a review on spending. I don't believe that it will be a case of surgical scalping of already exhausted resources, but a more vicious grab and hack approach under the (in)comptent supervision of the Minister for Education Caitriona Ruane. Now this week it may be less resources children, but next week it may be more? Come on Ms Ruane this is not a West Belfast Panto show. Ms Ruane is on record as stating education salaries are greater than 70%. How much more, 70.1%, 70.2%? In any oraganisation staff salaries would be expected to be around 70% of budget (according to theory). So, what now?
Posted by Andrew | 28.01.10, 12:33 GMT
If you have a child with special educational needs and they are in mainstream or even the 'special' (not so special) system, be afraid, be very afraid.
Time to look for some heads to roll, mostly Catriona's. Our children, our future are again going to pay dearly for the political machinations and powerlust of certain politicians who have blinkers on.
How much do the top administrators make? How many are there? They must go down the hole first, not our children.
what a complete shambles, and moreso - an embarrassment. Shame
Posted by jenny arbuthnot | 28.01.10, 11:41 GMT
How much would scraping the disfunctional education ministry and committee save?
Posted by Mark | 28.01.10, 11:15 GMT
How much would scraping the disfunctional education ministry and committee save?
Posted by Mark | 28.01.10, 11:12 GMT
Remarkably we have the vast amount of education money spent on duplication of resources solely to protect a special mystical Catholic school 'ethos'. Unlike anywhere else in the U K the Department of Education here willingly funds two parallel education systems that practically separate our children at birth! Great for promoting tolerance and mutual understanding -not!
Is it the state's role, especially in our present deep economic woes to support this educational apartheid? Many commentators would argue that quite apart from the money wasted on this dual approach, the tribal ignorance it generated was one of the main contributory factors in exacerbating the Troubles of the last fifty years!
Boards of Education are is rife with institutionalised waste.
Posted by T J McClean | 28.01.10, 10:04 GMT
this is just the beginning of savage cuts within the public sector - N.I is going to pay dearly for its dysfunctional executive.......
i bet within ten years, the vast majority of sensible people in N.I will be BEGGING for re-unification and it won't be for political or idealogical reasons..........
Posted by Ian Williams | 28.01.10, 09:46 GMT
Good time to end the religious barriers and integrate all schools, freeing up capitaland the duplication of admin roles. Surely a woman like Ruane, who favours equality for all. will choose this option? Sorry, I forgot, some are more equal than others especially the very few who speak Irish (if you want to speak it in an English speaking country, just pay for the lessons yourself).
Posted by Bemused | 28.01.10, 09:39 GMT
Well as long as the grammar schools, with their ability to charge parents, are protected then everything is OK!
What’s the betting the 'hammer' will fall on the most disadvantaged (and least vocal); as talking heads sang "same as it ever was".....
Posted by Exasperated | 28.01.10, 09:23 GMT
Look at the huge amount of money paid out by Education boards for daily taxis to their doors for youngsters who do not want to come to school!
Then look at the huge amount paid out by boards for dodgy pupil compensation claims.
e.g. boy successfully claims after cutting hand when climbling tree in out of bounds area of grounds! ...or girl successfully claims when she falls while running in corridor after being warned not to do so and when there is no evidence of injury!
Boards 'pay-out policy' is like a money tree for some parents. Boards who are responsible for looking after tax-payers money do not even bother to contest these claims in the courts they simply adopt a 'roll over and die' mentality and settle out of court.
Waste and mis-management are rife in education.
Posted by T J McClean | 28.01.10, 08:20 GMT
Lets not forget that the Minister has made a hash of ESA as well as the transfer system. The buck stops with her and her head should roll. Everything she has touched in Education has become poisoned. Everyone agrees that Education is over-administered but even Ruane made a mess of trying to sort it out. Time for the Education portfolio to go to someone who actually knows about education.
Posted by Cat Ruin | 28.01.10, 08:12 GMT
It is both telling and ironic that not one of the contributors to this article has raised concerns over the massive costs of the ESAIT (a DENI controlled body supposed to replace most of the sectoral bodies).
While ESA ( spend millions without accountability, Ruane now warns of pain. The front-line services euphemistically referred to are teachers' salary and C2K IT costs not real improvement for pupils teaching or a reduction on the demands by schools for more financial contributions from parents.
PACE is on record suggesting the savings to be made by getting rid of CCEA and the ESA. Perhaps a little dose of Ruane's "pain" will focus minds.
Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 28.01.10, 08:09 GMT
First position to go in the streamlining should be that of the Minister for Education and all surrounding cronies. that will remove some of the inept bureaucracy. They have done nothing to benefit the education of children in this country.........
Posted by SM | 28.01.10, 08:09 GMT