UNISON Northern Ireland

UNISON DEEPLY CONCERNED BY ENDING OF FUNDING FOR EDUCATION PROGRAMMES

Thursday 30 March 2023

UNISON is deeply concerned by reports today (30th March 2023) that the Department of Education intends to end funding for a range of important programmes designed to support children and young people. Responding to this, UNISON Head of Bargaining and Representation Anne Speed, said:

‘‘This is an extremely worrying development. We are deeply concerned as to the impact that the ending of funding for these programmes will have on children and young people and on our members who support them within our education system. The timing of this announcement will also cause real difficulties for school principals in responding, coming just days before funding is now due to end.

Children’s futures should not be allowed to be compromised by cuts to funding, all while our local political institutions are not operating.

At a time when UNISON has been campaigning for the introduction of universal free school meals, it is unacceptable that the Department is ending payments for the 96,000 children currently eligible for free school meals designed to support them and their families during holiday periods. On the eve of the Easter holidays this will cause real alarm for families already struggling during the cost-of-living crisis. Funding to continue these payments must be found urgently as no child should go hungry during school holidays.

The Department of Education and Education Authority must engage immediately with UNISON and other education trade unions, providing all information around the impact on the workforce across programmes where funding is being ended. We urgently require information in relation to how workers involved in the Engage programme will be supported in the event of redundancies if they are on fixed term contracts and funding comes to an end.

This process should have occurred in advance of these decisions being taken. UNISON will support our members who are affected.

We will continue to call for an education system that is properly resourced to deliver for all our children and young people, particularly the most vulnerable. All our local politicians must work together to stop these damaging cuts and to secure the funding our services so badly need.’’