New arrangements for school funding, which are designed to deliver greater equity and consistency in allocations, have been put out for consultation today.

NIO Education Minister Barry Gardiner said that the system needed updated as schools currently have their budgets assessed through seven different formulae.

He added: "I believe it is right that schools with similar characteristics should be funded on the same basis regardless of geographical location. That is why we have moved forward work to develop a common funding formula that will replace the existing formulae with a system that is more equitable and transparent.”

Plans for a common funding formula were originally announced by the Northern Ireland Executive in its first Programme for Government and consulted on during 2001.

Acknowledging the commitment given by the devolved administration, the Minister said he believed it was now right to move to a common system.

Addressing educational underachievement and the effects of social deprivation, Mr Gardner said that education had a major role to play in "trying to break the cycle of social deprivation, low educational achievement and unemployment".

Today's consultation proposals would provide for the use of educational indicators alongside entitlement to Free School Meals in the allocation of Targeting Social Need (TSN) funding to address under-achievement.

"This will bring more schools within the ambit of TSN funding and ensure that schools with large proportions of disadvantaged pupils receive proportionately more funding under the TSN element of the formula,” he said.

Consultation with schools on the factors and weightings that make up the common funding formula will end on November 5.

(GB/GMCG)