A report from the Auditor General has put into stark terms the alarming financial crisis facing our schools.
Kieran Donnelly has sounded a serious warning about the problems that are piling up for the education system, which he says is coming close to 'tipping point.'
It is absolutely essential that these concerns are heeded and action taken to address the significant difficulties that are having a very real impact on our children's education.
Mr Donnelly's report has 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.
During that time, more schools have found themselves in the red, with particularly high deficits experienced in the post-primary sector.
By the end of March last year, seven schools had debts of more than £1 million, which is an astonishing figure providing an insight into the enormous financial issues facing head teachers and the education authorities.
Some of the schools named have now closed which means that debts are written off which has a knock on effect on the overall budget, meaning less money for key services such as meals, maintenance and transport.
The report noted that schools generally have been trying to reduce costs by cutting back on books, equipment, photocopying and postage.
Tightened budgets have also resulted in reduced contracted hours for teachers or the use of teaching assistants instead of full-time teachers.
Parents of school age children will be well aware of staffing cutbacks, increased class sizes and the cash constraints facing schools.
Mr Donnelly urged the Department of Education and the Education Authority to undertake a fundamental review of how schools are funded.
Of course, our education system needs to be properly managed and adequately resourced. We need to invest in our children's education if we are to grow our economy.
The fact that we have no working government focusing on these urgent issues is absolutely unacceptable.
