EDUCATION BUDGET

£10b for education is clearly insufficient as the minister has proposed widespread cuts, school closures, school amalgamations, at the same time as cutting school transport, as well as other cuts. Children with special needs have always been neglected when it comes to funding and staffing.6 Integrated education, a key objective in the Good Friday Agreement, has been deliberately ignored.

Parents wishing amalgamation in line with secular integration, have had their wishes for their children to be educated together dismissed. If the minister believes there are too many schools, why will he not allow integrated education to grow, why does he not use this opportunity to implement smaller class sizes that would allow all children to reach their full potential.

Researchers estimate the total additional cost of maintaining a divided system at £226 million each year, or over £600,000 every day of the year. The current system is not only educationally and culturally indefensible, but it is also a significant drain on the public purse. Children are being let down by the inability of the Executive parties to deliver.