School leaders' union NAHT NI has responded to the Education Authority's announcement of severe savings measures, asserting that planned cuts to schools are the direct result of political choices in determining the education budget in Northern Ireland.

The measures announced today include a 50p increase in school meal prices, cuts to home-to-school transport, savings impacting the music service and the suspension of referrals to external EOTAS (Education Other Than At School) providers - services supporting some of the most vulnerable children who cannot attend mainstream school.

Dr Graham Gault, NAHT NI national secretary, said: "Every single one of these damaging measures announced today is the direct consequence of political choices made at Westminster and in Stormont about how much to allocate to education in Northern Ireland.

"The Education Authority is pointing to decisions that will directly impact children and families. This situation is not inevitable - it is the result of years of political decision-making that has systematically underfunded education while politicians of all shades have talked about valuing our children's futures.

"Suspending referrals to EOTAS providers is particularly concerning. These services support some of our most vulnerable children - those who cannot attend mainstream school for various complex reasons. What happens to these children now? Where are they supposed to go?

"Increasing school meal prices will hit families who are already struggling but who earn just above the threshold for free school meals. Parents facing financial challenges will also be impacted by cuts to transport services which may mean children, including some with additional needs, face longer journeys or more inconvenient arrangements. And reducing access to music education means narrowing opportunities for children to develop their talents.

"The Education Authority says that this situation is 'not one anyone at EA wants to be in.' Of course it isn't. Nobody in education wants to be making these choices. But politicians have forced this situation through their funding decisions year after year.

"The Department of Education's own equality impact assessment warned in March that the Budget 'will leave a considerable shortfall across the education sector' and that 'demand-led, statutory pressures will go unfunded.' Politicians were warned. They chose not to act. Now children are paying the price.

"Politicians at Westminster and in Stormont must now make different choices. They must prioritise education and provide the funding needed to prevent these damaging cuts from being implemented. They must choose to invest in children's futures rather than managing education's decline.

"Our children deserve better than this. They deserve political leaders who will make the right choices - who will fund education properly, protect the most vulnerable, and ensure every child can access the education and support they need."