Teaching unions react with fury to £100 million education budget cut plans

The Ulster Teachers' Union described the budget plans as "savage", while the NASUWT said the plans are "reprehensible".

Both trade unions were speaking following a meeting with education chiefs on Monday.

An umbrella body representing trade unions collectively said the £100 million cuts, which unions say are the result of the Stormont budget put forward by Secretary of State Chris Heaton-Harris, could amount to "yet another tactic by NIO to put pressure on the local parties to re-form the Northern Ireland Executive".

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions, in a statement, said: "Trade Unions representing education workers were warned today [Monday] by officials about the budget options available to the Education Authority (EA).

"Unions representing teaching and support staff expressed concern that EA management has refused to rule out compulsory redundancies."

The spokesperson added: "Unions also suspect that this is yet another tactic by the Northern Ireland Office to put pressure on the local parties to re-form the NI Executive, while also creating a distraction from the financial crisis within the health sector, on the day in which some health unions commence action short of strike action."

Ulster Teachers' Union general secretary Jacquie White said: "This is savage. We’ve been left reeling. The Department has demanded a savings plan of £100 million from the EA by December 21.

"I have absolutely no idea where the EA is expected to start making these savings.”

NASUWT national official for Northern Ireland Justin McCamphill said: “This is a reprehensible situation to place the EA in, and ultimately if followed through will cause more misery to our children and young people.”

On Monday, the BBC reported that the Department of Education said, in a letter to schools, that it "has had to make some very difficult decisions".

In a statement to the broadcaster, an EA spokesperson said that while it welcomed the "additional funding as part of the budget settlement, an EA funding gap for 2022/23 remains with a potentially adverse impact on our schools and front-line services, including but not limited to Special Educational Needs".

It said the "serious funding challenges facing education this year follow 10 years of under-investment in education and ever-increasing demand".