NAHT NI, the union representing the majority of school leaders in Northern Ireland, has today confirmed that it will move to a formal ballot for industrial action, following the failure of employers and the Department of Education to deliver satisfactory progress in resolving the current dispute.

Despite sustained engagement, NAHT NI says the fundamental issues facing school leaders remain unchanged and continue to worsen.

Dr Graham Gault, national secretary of NAHT NI, said: “Our members continue to experience a severe and unacceptable deterioration in their working conditions.

"The escalation of workload, compounded by wider systemic failures, including the abject failure of our political representatives to adequately fund the education sector, has created an environment that is simply no longer tenable.

"While the minister has committed to addressing workload, the reality at school level is that members are not seeing any tangible relief, and the plans brought forward do not yet contain the level of detail and assurance required to give confidence that meaningful change will come.

"In these circumstances, and given the strength of feeling among our members about their unsustainable workload and unsafe working practices, we have been left with no choice but to proceed to a ballot.”

NAHT NI says that school leaders are still being prevented from carrying out their core role of leading learning, supporting staff and safeguarding children, as they are increasingly diverted into managing systemic failures across the education system.

Joanne Whyte, president of NAHT NI, said: “School leaders want to be in classrooms, in corridors, supporting pupils and staff.

"They want to focus their minds on leading learning and teaching and delivering better outcomes for everyone, but instead they are absolutely overwhelmed by pressures that sit far beyond the role they trained for.

"When workload becomes unmanageable and, simply, unsafe, it is not just school leaders who are affected, children lose out. This situation cannot be allowed to continue.”

NAHT NI says that the decision to move to ballot has not been taken lightly and reflects the strength of feeling across the profession.

Dr Gault added: “We want to be absolutely clear; we remain open to negotiation and we have sought and will continue to seek and exhaust every available avenue to avoid industrial action.

"Our preference is, and always has been, to reach a resolution that our members can rely on.

"However, as a trade union, we have a clear and unequivocal responsibility to protect our members and so, regrettably, in the absence of meaningful progress, we must now prepare to do so through industrial means.”

Rob Kelsall, assistant general secretary of NAHT, said: “Today we have given notice to employers of our intention to ballot our members for industrial action across Northern Ireland.

“This is a last resort for any principal, one we never take lightly, but it has become necessary to ensure our schools remain safe places to work and learn.

“We have exhausted every possible avenue to avoid this point, including repeated appeals for the Labour Relations Agency to intervene. All have come to no avail.

“It beggars belief that in the 21st century school leaders are being forced to take such action simply to secure safe and healthy working environments.

“Our focus has always been, and remains, the wellbeing of our school communities. We remain open to meaningful engagement at any stage.

"However, the situation we now face leaves us with no choice but to prepare our members to consider the next steps.”

What happens next

NAHT NI will now proceed to run a formal ballot of members.

The union emphasises that its objective remains the same: securing urgent, meaningful and deliverable action that will restore sustainable working conditions for school leaders and protect the quality of education for children across Northern Ireland.