SINN Féin Education spokesperson Karen Mullan has met the leading Department of Education official today to press for school budgets to be protected.
The discussions come in the wake of hundreds of local schools writing to the British secretary of state in protest at their lack of resources.
The Foyle MLA commented: “I raised a number of concerns with the Department Permanent Secretary, not least the issue of school budgets.
“Children should not have to pay the price for Tory-Dup austerity and if schools are saying they do not have the necessary resources than that needs to be heeded.
“That is why Sinn Féin worked so hard to secure additional funds for the Education budget in July and October and it remains our position that school budgets should be adequately resourced.
“And while I also acknowledge the steps taken by the Department to review changes to free schools meals criteria which threatened to remove this entitlement from thousands pf children, I stressed we will continue to pursue this issue until such times as we are satisfied that no child loses out as a result of a technical change rather than an improvement in their circumstances.
“I also reiterated Sinn Fein’s firm opposition to the proposed closure of Ardnabannon outdoor education centre.
“This is a counter-productive move and the Department should rethink its plans.,” she added.
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