Northern Ireland

School money woes may 'go unanswered' in Stormont's absence, Westminster group chair warns

Committee chairman Dr Andrew Murrison
Committee chairman Dr Andrew Murrison Committee chairman Dr Andrew Murrison

THE chairman of a Westminster committee has bemoaned the lack of a Stormont executive – warning that schools' money worries could be ignored.

The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is concluding an inquiry into education funding, having been told schools are at "breaking point".

It examined whether the level of funding allocated to education was sufficient to meet the challenges facing the sector.

A report from the auditor general found the system was coming close to a tipping point. Kieran Donnelly found while funding increased between 2012/13 and 2016/17, there was a 9.3 per cent reduction in real terms.

In that time, more schools have found themselves in the red.

Committee members this week met school leaders, teachers and bursars at Holy Cross College in Strabane.

Chairman Dr Andrew Murrison said attendees were asked about their views on the state of funding.

There were concerns the amount of money allocated to schools was not enough to deliver a quality education at a time when pressure on the system was increasing.

Too much of the education budget, principals said, was held by central agencies, and some schools felt they should have more control.

The committee also heard Special Educational Needs support was "inadequate", processing statements took too long, and there was not enough emphasis on early intervention.

Some said the Education Authority was not sufficiently transparent, both in how it spent money and how it made decisions about the future of schools.

Important decisions on education, they added, needed to be taken in the absence of an executive and must be made by the secretary of state if devolution is not restored in the near-future.

Dr Murrison said the committee heard from a wide range of people involved in education – teachers, school principals, unions and EA officials – over the course of its inquiry.

"Though these groups might have different priorities they have a common goal to provide high quality education to the children of Northern Ireland," he said.

"My committee heard teachers' concerns about funding and the way money is spent in Northern Ireland's education system. But without a functioning government in Stormont, there is a risk these calls for support will go unanswered.

"My committee plans to take evidence from the Department of Education and to report on how the UK government and executive bodies in Northern Ireland can address the needs of Northern Ireland's education sector."