Robert Wilson, Regional Officer at the Association of School and College Leaders in Northern Ireland, comments ahead of tomorrow’s planned day of strike action by the majority of teachers in Northern Ireland.
“We fully appreciate and share the frustrations of teachers taking strike action. It is clear that there needs to be an improved, fully funded pay settlement to resolve this dispute and we urge those responsible for government in Northern Ireland to make this a matter of priority.
“Education in Northern Ireland is facing a crisis. Teacher recruitment and retention is increasingly difficult because of cuts in the real value of teacher pay and rising workloads which result from the insufficiency of school funding. Without urgent improvements to pay and funding, educational standards and provision are at risk with serious social and economic consequences for Northern Ireland.”