Burrows warns education cuts would ‘decimate’ Northern Ireland’s school ecosystem
- Love Ballymena
- 2 hours ago
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Inset: Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA
Ulster Unionist Party leader and education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has issued a stark warning over proposals contained within the Executive’s proposed Five-Year Education Budget Strategy, cautioning that cuts to classroom assistants and the use of unqualified substitute teachers would have devastating consequences for schools, staff and pupils across Northern Ireland.
Responding to the publication of the strategy for public consultation, Mr Burrows criticised both the substance of the proposals and the manner in which they were disclosed, claiming MLAs were sidelined in favour of media briefings.
“I am deeply disappointed that BBC News NI was briefed on these proposals before the Northern Ireland Assembly. Whoever authorised that approach should reflect on their actions,” he said.
“It is the responsibility of MLAs to provide the first scrutiny of policies that directly affect our constituents.”
Mr Burrows argued that the move reflected a growing pattern of Ministers bypassing Assembly accountability.
“This is yet another example in recent weeks of Ministers bypassing their obligations to the Assembly, such as Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins and now Education Minister Paul Givan. I trust the Speaker will address this issue.”
‘Indispensable’ classroom assistants under threat
At the heart of Mr Burrows’ concern is the potential impact on classroom assistants, particularly those supporting children with special educational needs (SEN) — a group he described as essential to the functioning of schools.
“I am also profoundly concerned by what is being suggested regarding classroom assistants, particularly those supporting pupils with special educational needs,” he said.
“Classroom assistants are indispensable. Across North Antrim, teachers consistently tell me that a skilled classroom assistant is worth their weight in gold.”
He warned that removing this layer of support would place intolerable pressure on an already overstretched workforce, with knock-on effects for staff retention and pupil wellbeing.
“The loss of these vital staff would leave many teachers questioning their future in the profession. Teaching classes of up to 35 pupils is already challenging enough.”
For many families, particularly those navigating the SEN system, classroom assistants are often the difference between a child thriving in school or struggling to cope — a human cost that, critics argue, is missing from the financial modelling.
Alarm over substitute teacher proposals
Mr Burrows also raised serious concerns about suggestions that unqualified substitutes could be used to fill staffing gaps, pointing to recent evidence given to the Assembly.
“I am further alarmed by the proposals relating to substitute teachers. Only last week, the GTCNI made it explicitly clear to the Education Committee that only qualified substitute teachers can undertake that role.”
He urged the Education Minister to resist short-term cost-cutting that could undermine standards in the classroom.
Minister defends reform agenda amid funding crisis
Education Minister Paul Givan has defended the strategy, describing it as a necessary response to a deepening funding crisis facing the education system.
“Northern Ireland’s education system has long been a source of pride, with one of the most highly qualified teaching workforces in the world,” he said. “However, the reality is that the system is under severe and sustained strain.”
The Department of Education’s 2025–26 budget stands at £3.36 billion, more than £250 million short of what is needed. Officials project that the funding gap could exceed £0.8 billion by 2026-27 and rise to over £1.15 billion by 2028-29 if current trends continue.
“In the absence of significantly increased funding, financial sustainability will require significant structural reform of the education system,” Mr Givan said, adding that “the classroom must come first”.
He insisted that large-scale redundancies were not being contemplated, but acknowledged that “delivering this protection requires difficult choices”.
Proposed areas for reform
Drawing on the Independent Review of Education, the Department has identified several areas where costs could be reduced over the next five years, including:
Reforming home-to-school transport
Modernising school meals delivery
Reshaping SEN support in mainstream schools
Restructuring the schools estate, including reducing the number of schools
Introducing a new model of financial management for schools
Mr Givan described the strategy as “a credible and necessary roadmap” to stabilise budgets and protect learning outcomes in the long term.
Public consultation now open
The Five-Year Education Budget Strategy is now open for public consultation for eight weeks, closing on 3 April.
Written Ministerial Statement:
As debate intensifies, the consultation is expected to draw strong responses from teachers, parents and support staff concerned about the real-world impact of reforms on classrooms and communities across Northern Ireland.