Northern Ireland

Extra £400 million needed for cash-strapped education system

Education minister Peter Weir. Picture by Mal McCann
Education minister Peter Weir. Picture by Mal McCann Education minister Peter Weir. Picture by Mal McCann

THE cash-strapped education system needs a £400 million injection to ease pressures on school budgets and teachers' pay.

The cross-party education committee at Stormont was yesterday told this could rise to £700m in each of the following two years.

Members heard from minister Peter Weir and several of his Department of Education officials.

Mr Weir addressed commitments made in the New Decade, New Approach deal which include a promise that "the executive will ?urgently resolve the current teachers' industrial dispute".

The executive will also ensure that "every school has a sustainable core budget to deliver quality education."

The number of schools in the red has more than doubled since Stormont collapsed three years ago. Close to 600 schools have combined debts totalling £62.6m.

Mr Weir said it would cost hundreds of millions to pay for all "big ticket items".

An estimated £150m is needed to cover the teachers' pay dispute, he said. In addition, special education needed about £75m, childcare up to £90m and school budgets £60m.

"Maybe somewhere in the region of about three to four hundred million at least that would need to be increased in terms of the budget," Mr Weir said.

A business case has been sent to the Department of Finance for money to settle the teachers' dispute, but even more would need to be provided in future years.

"We're estimating in terms of pay roughly about £150m may be needed to cover all those aspects in terms of pay, not just the settlement but if we're looking at potentially what could be settlements for 19, 20, 21," Mr Weir said.

"School budgets, to essentially get it to a point where the head is above water, ideally we'd need at least £50m to £60m on that side of things."

Deputy chair, Karen Mullan of Sinn Féin noted that the industrial action by teachers included non-cooperation with school inspectors.

She asked the minister what he planned to do to address concerns.

Mr Weir spoke about the need to restore trust and move towards an improvement agency approach.

Department permanent secretary Derek Baker told the committee that there was a "need to do some mythbusting".

"The vast majority of inspections are positive in terms of outcomes for schools," he said.

SDLP member Daniel McCrossan later told the minister there were concerns about the Education Authority (EA), which was "in complete meltdown".

He said the was little confidence in the body among both teachers and the public and it required major reform and direct intervention from the minister.

The DUP's William Humphrey added that there was "no excuse for the EA just simply refusing to deal with or respond or communicate with principals".

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ANALYSIS

PETER Weir opened his committee evidence session quoting Tony Blair's mantra of `education, education, education'.

As he responded to members' questions, the underlying theme was more Abba's `money, money, money'.

Basically, everything needs more cash - but where that will come from is anyone's guess.

Mr Weir told members a deal was in place to resolve the teachers' pay dispute but the "only barrier is money being available".

There was some extra cash announced this week but that is nowhere near enough.

Committee chairman Chris Lyttle summed up what everyone else around the table and the public gallery was thinking - there was a concerning lack of detail.

He told the minister he had to push for "radical reforms" but there have been no specifics thus far.

Mr Weir said it would cost about £400m more to boost the system - roughly a 20 per cent increase on the overall education budget.

Later, the Department of Education chief finance officer Gary Fair estimated that this £400m would increase to £700m next year.

The minister recognises that there is a need for a greater overall education budget.

But he rightly pointed out that he cannot allocate money that simply is not there.

The general fear is that things will likely get worse before they get better.