Recently I met with the major Unions and representative bodies for Teachers, School Leaders and Schools support staff. Their members collectively have responsibility for the education and development of our children. We discussed the unfair pay and conditions and deteriorating school estate but we also spent some time discussing the impacts that current events are having on our children and pupils.

These children are our most precious resource and in 2023 should be being taught and mentored, not only in purposeful surroundings, but also by staff whose talent and commitment is fairly rewarded.

Sadly, this week we will see further industrial action, which I know is being taken reluctantly, by the same teaching and support staff whom we expect to “carry on regardless”, through a back-drop of what has been lauded as a political ‘ice age’ by some politicians.

This simply cannot be allowed to go on any further. A child’s timeline for learning passes quickly and with significant investment in staff and capital urgently required to fix a stressed and breaking system there can be no further delay in returning to Stormont and putting our children first.

 Anything less will be seen as failing the next generation of citizens at their earliest and most critical point of learning and development.