IPPN Response to Budget 2025
- Last Updated: Thursday, 03 October 2024 09:35
IPPN prioritised four key areas for primary education in Budget 2025:
- Making leadership ‘doable’ - through role clarity, increased time and capacity for leadership and enhanced governance structures
- Resourcing Special Education Needs provision
- Supporting DEIS schools through the implementation of a DEIS+ band at primary school level
- Increasing grant funding.
Lack of Support for School Leadership
IPPN is dismayed and concerned at the abject failure of this budget to provide meaningful supports to make primary school leadership more sustainable. 1,000 additional leadership and management posts will have little effect when not one additional minute for leadership has been allocated to schools.
More and more is asked and expected of school leaders in terms of rolling out initiatives, not to mention the implementation of the Primary Curriculum Framework and the development of our SNA workforce. The failure to allocate time for leadership has further compromised leadership effectiveness, school effectiveness and outcomes for children.
This Budget is yet another missed opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of the importance of school leadership and a practical commitment to enhancing leadership capacity, effectiveness and the sustainability of leadership roles. The system cannot continue to fail school leaders. The time for resourcing and supporting school leadership adequately has long since passed.
Partially meeting additional needs
IPPN acknowledges the additional funding to support pupils with additional needs. However, it will not be sufficient to address the level of additional need that presents in our classrooms. While the provision of additional teaching and SNA posts is welcome, it must be acknowledged that the system does not aspire to fully meeting additional needs. If the level of resources made available within the system is dictated by budgetary constraints, then it can merely be asserted that additional needs are met only to the level allowed by the budget allocated for it. This approach to inclusion limits the impact of inclusive practice in schools and the capacity to meet the needs of children.
Ongoing financial pressure
IPPN also acknowledges the increase to capitation funding, but again this will not be sufficient to address the ongoing significant financial pressures schools are experiencing. The impact of the welcome investment in measures to provide free schoolbooks and hot school meals will be significantly undermined when schools are struggling to keep the lights and the heating on.
Next steps
IPPN is seeking an immediate meeting with the Secretary General of the Department to discuss this further. We will keep members informed of any progress via E-scéal.
Páiric Clerkin Louise Tobin
CEO President
