The NASUWT, the largest union in Northern Ireland, is warning about numerous challenges ahead for teachers and the education service.
Savings of almost £200 million must be made across the system in 2015/16. There have already been repeated blows to secondary schools.
Classroom jobs are under threat while reading schemes are being cut and a multi-million pound drive to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of “poor” post-primary pupils has been culled.
Justin McCamphill, NASUWT national official, says the academic year is starting, regrettably, with the recent successes of the Northern Ireland education system under threat. Children, young people and teachers deserve better, he added.
“One such success, the Delivering Social Change: Signature Project was making a real difference in tackling underachievement for students from poorer backgrounds,” he said.
“This project also created jobs for recently qualified teachers in our schools and gave them
experiences which should have been of benefit to the education system.
“Unfortunately, the non-renewal of this project and the general reduction in school budgets will mean that other jurisdictions and employers will benefit from the experience and training of these teachers.”
The union’s general secretary Chris Keates adds that teachers always start every academic year with determination and optimism.
“This year this will be overshadowed by the enormous challenges facing the service, not least the prospect of further deep cuts to public services, including education and the resultant political instability,” she said.
“Teachers face yet another year struggling against the odds to make sure children and young people secure their entitlement to high-quality education provision.
“But they cannot disguise that children’s entitlement to be taught by those who have working conditions to enable them to focus on teaching and learning is being seriously compromised by the lack of coherent strategies to address the needs of the workforce.”