“This report pulls no punches. It concludes that education in Northern Ireland is in financial crisis and that education cuts are having a lasting and detrimental impact on learners. We wholeheartedly agree with the review panel that education must be recognised as a social and economic imperative, and we implore the Executive to implement the funding recommendations set out in the report as a matter of urgency. There should be no delay in taking this essential action.
“The wider recommendations of the review represent a pivotal moment in the future of the education system in Northern Ireland including the reconfiguration of the network of schools and reforming the curriculum. A lot of this will not be easy, but change is needed, and we are ready to work with policymakers on the detail of how this would be implemented. Every ambition for our education system, however, depends upon establishing a firm funding base.”