(UK) Belfast principals meeting: schools at 'breaking point' over budget; greater pupil need

Jan 29, 2019, Belfast Irish News: School leaders meet with MPs over education funding http://www.irishnews.com/news/educationnews/2019/01/29/news/school-leaders-meet-with-mps-over-education-funding-1538056/ PRINCIPALS met MPs yesterday to highlight concerns over a massive shortfall in the education budget. Members of Westminster's Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, which is holding an inquiry into education funding, hosted a discussion at Holy Cross College in Strabane with school leaders. The cross-party committee was told that many schools were at "breaking point". It is examining whether the level of funding allocated to education is sufficient to meet the challenges facing the sector. A report from the auditor general found the north's education system was coming close to a tipping point. Kieran Donnelly highlighted pressure on budgets, increasing pupil numbers and schools with sustainability issues. He found that while funding had increased between 2012/13 and 2016/17, there had been a 9.3 per cent reduction in real terms…. "Nursery principals and staff face unprecedented challenges, exacerbated by the current financial difficulties, and many are almost at breaking point," she said. "With the ever-decreasing budgets, the nursery sector often has only the bare legal minimum of staff to deal with more and more children who have not had their needs identified, and to try to support parents in their role." … Raymond McFeeters, head of Castle Tower School and Ardnashee School and College, said the special school sector also faced challenges…. … Special schools continue to need highly trained staff to deal with the increasing complexity of pupil need."