STORMONT STALEMATE: NI's cash-strapped schools at 'rock bottom'
As Stormont marks two years since the Executive collapsed, we look at the impact on Northern Ireland's struggling schools.
Last year, it was revealed that almost half of schools here are running a budget deficit.
With no Education Minister in place, principals have no point of reference for their concerns and have been forced to take drastic measures to try and cut back on costs.
"Our financial situation in our schools is beyond anything we could ever have imagined," said Maghaberry primary School Principal Dr Graham Gault.
"We're not just facing a crisis, we're right in the middle of one."
Dr Gault told Downtown Radio/Cool FM news the blame can only really lie with on group of people.
"Individually, our politicians are very supportive and the MLAs and MPs in this area have been very supportive," he said,
"However, collectively, as a group at Stormont, they have failed our children.
"We've taught our children how to negotiate in the playground.
"They can negotiate through problems, they know how to take a little, they know how to give a little.
"But the example being set by the role models we've elected to serve is just shocking."
The Co Antrim principal wants to see a serious commitment to getting the institutions back up and running, as well as a serious examination of how the education sector is currently run.
"The whole thing needs a complete review," Dr Gault said.
"We need a Bengoa-style report in education, an inquiry that is root and branch, in -depth right through the system, with finance at it's core."
Schools have been forced to turn to parents to ask for extra cash to buy essentials like toilet paper, pencils and books.
Heather Murray is the principal of Millington Primary School in Portadown and said at one point, they were going without heat in a desperate bid to conserve money.
"It's not the niceties anymore, it's not the extras, it's the essentials," Ms Murray said.
"Parents are being asked to supply the core things we need for our schools, so we can actually teach our children.
"They can only prop up the system up for so long, because we're living in austere times.
"Parents don't have a lot of money either, so we need to properly invest in the school system we have here.
"The education sector is crumbling and there's no-one here to knead us back together, to pick up the pieces."
For many parents, the toll has been heavy too as they try to do what is best for their children in the absence of the politicians elected to do so.
But with the cost of living on the rise - can they really afford to keep it going much longer.
Nicola McCracken, mum of two and chair of the Moneyrea PTA, told us they’ve never been in this deep a crisis.
“We’re finding it more and more difficult – every year we’re having to bring in funds because we can’t afford to do the essential things schools need to survive.
“We are providing things like stationary item – the bare essentials basically – something that has never been done before – that’s the first time the budget has not covered the basic requirements for our school to function.
“In December – one of the busiest months for everyone – we’ve had 2 bag packs and our school fair – which all the money goes towards what the kids need – but there’s only so many time’s you can ask parents to dip into their own pockets.”
Nicola says every day we go without a government - we fall further behind the rest of the UK.
“The education authority takes a cut from our budget for special projects when the money arrives from London and we are then left with less money per child than the rest of the UK.
“When and if ministers get back we need to be at least on par with England – we ned to look at our funding and how our money can be spent in a sensible way to try and bring our schools back and ease the pressure on parents like myself”.