The Principal of a local post primary school has warned that “cuts are really beginning to bite in all schools” as the Department of Education reveals a £4.9 million decrease on its budget next year.

Simon Mowbray, the Headmaster of Devenish College, was one of a number of local teachers and principals who attended a meeting with the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Education Derek Baker, hosted by UUP MLA Rosemary Barton in Fivemiletown last week.
During the meeting, Mr. Baker revealed his department’s budget will be £4.9 m smaller next year.
According to Mrs. Barton, “this means that many local schools already struggling to balance the books will soon find it almost impossible.”
 Commenting after the meeting, Mr. Mowbray said: “I felt Derek Baker painted a very honest and stark picture for education over the coming year. In reality I see no positive news with regards to our school budget.”
He outlined that “inflation costs are rising, staff costs are rising, oil and electricity costs are rising and in real terms the amount of money being allocated to our schools is decreasing”, adding: “It does not take an accountant to realise that this is totally unsustainable.”
Mr. Mowbray believes that “cuts are really beginning to bite in all schools with regards to the curriculum we are able to offer our students, the resources we can provide and the class sizes in which the students are taught.”
He added: “Thankfully our student numbers are increasing otherwise the outlook would be extremely bleak.”
He called on government “in whichever form that may be” to “take important decisions so that more money is reaching the frontline services in education.”
According to Mrs. Barton, “every governor, principal or teacher that attended were told in no uncertain terms that they are now in for an even more challenging year than the last as frontline funding for schools is set to be further reduced.”
The former teacher added: “The frightening thing is that many of Fermanagh’s schools have exhausted all reasonable cost reducing measures. 
“The Northern Ireland education system faces annual increases in pay costs of approximately £60 million and this has largely been passed on to school budgets in the previous three financial years. The subsequent impact has been schools experiencing major deficits in their annual budgets.”
Mrs. Barton said that, in cash terms, the level of funding schools are currently receiving is similar to 2010-11, “despite rapidly growing pupil numbers.” 
She believes “it is inevitable that there will now be more schools than ever before experiencing deficits in their budget at the end of the year.”
Mrs. Barton concluded: “The pressures in our local education system are in a downward spiral. Class sizes continue to swell, subjects are being cut, buildings are becoming increasingly run-down and now hundreds of schools are not even having their spending plans authorised. As far as school finances are concerned there is no reason for anyone to be cheer-leading last week’s budget. Rather it demonstrates the Conservative Party’s rigid austerity drive in many public services, education in Northern Ireland being a prime example.”