Education Minister rejects funding crisis

Education Minister, Barry Gardiner, today rejected claims that education funding is in crisis despite shortfalls within the five local Education Boards being forecast to exceed £100 million in the next two to three years.

Mr Gardiner said he wanted to “set the record straight” following recent reports on financial pressures facing the Education and Library Boards in Northern Ireland.

He said: “There has been major investment in our education system over the past five years. Pre-school places have more than doubled, giving children the very best start to their education.

“Over 350,000 children are benefiting from £204 million of computer technology, invested in schools under C2K, which is the envy of pupils and teachers from around the world. We have also started to address the need for new facilities in the largest school building programme ever seen in Northern Ireland. This all adds up to a 43% increase in the education budget, in the past five years.”

However, today’s comments are unlikely to ease concerns within the Southern Education and Library Board.

While budgets have yet to be determined, special needs, school transport, school crossing patrols and canteens could all face cutbacks because of an estimated £28 million shortfall over the next three years.

The Western Board, meanwhile, said it would have to make cutbacks of £23 million and the North Eastern said it would be £27 million in the red if it did not make cutbacks.

The Belfast and the South Eastern are currently the subject of a statutory enquiry into why they have overspent their budgets. Last month the chief executive of the BELB was suspended pending investigations into an overspend of nearly £5 million by the region's education department.

The South Eastern Education and Library Board, meanwhile, had originally said it had a deficit of £5.7 million, but some sources indicate this figure is more like to be closer to £15 million by the end of the year.

(MB/SP)