School uniform grant under threat after £3m cut
The Education Authority has confirmed that it will be making a £3m cut to the school uniform grants.
“In its recent Resource Budget Allocation letter, the Department of Education has instructed the Education Authority to make certain spending cuts to achieve budget savings," a spokesperson said.
"These include a reduction in £3m for school uniform grants.”
The maximum amount that could be given to any pupil as a grant currently is £78, according to government regulations, which covers a post-primary uniform and PE kit.
That is split between £56 for the uniform and £22 for PE kit.
Primary school pupils are eligible for £35.75 of support.
Anne Speed is Unison's Head of Bargaining and Negotiation and said it could have dire consequences for families already below the poverty line.
"I could see a direct consequence of this that there would be more families using foodbanks," he said.
"More families will have to use the money they normally spend on the weekly shop to pay for the school uniforms.
"It's a very bad decision and it needs to be stopped."
Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey also attacked the decision and said the DUP had to shoulder the blame for what was happening.
"This proposed reduction is an attack on children and families from deprived communities and a further result of Tory austerity cuts," he said.
"Since the Tories came into power we have seen over a billion cut from the North's block grant.
"The DUP in their support for Theresa May's Tory government has handed them a blank cheque for their cuts and a Tory Brexit.
"I have asked for urgent meetings with both the Education Authority and the Department and will be calling on them to reverse this cut immediately."
However, the DUP's Peter Weir said Mr Maskey's party were merely trying to deflect attention from their own role in events.
“The Sinn Fein stock answer to everything currently is to blame Theresa May," he said.
"As well as blaming Westminster for the cut to school uniform grants Alex Maskey has gone further to say he will be seeking a meeting with the Department of Education to discuss it with them.
"This uniform grant is being cut by unelected officials because Sinn Fein refuse to form an Executive.
"Instead of requesting meetings with civil servants Alex Maskey’s party colleagues could be sitting around the Executive table with the other parties actually taking the decisions on these matters."