Multi-million school building project to go ahead

The government has today announced that a £380 million school building programme for 48 new schools across Northern Ireland is to start immediately.

Education Minister, Maria Eagle made the announcement saying that her predecessor Angela Smith had set the wheels in motion earlier in the year and at the time had explained that the Department and the Strategic Investment Board Limited (SIB) would undertake an assessment of the most effective procurement route for these schools that would offer the best value for money.

Ms Eagle added that this assessment is now complete and that all school authorities are to be informed that their projects will proceed under the conventional funding route.

The Minister said: "As the development of the new schools are taken forward, account will need to be taken of the Strategic Review of Education being led by Sir George Bain, and of A Shared Future, the Government’s policy and strategic framework for good relations in Northern Ireland.

“This £380 million programme is the largest ever single investment in new schools, and will benefit more than 22,000 pupils. It reflects Government’s commitment to renew the schools estate to provide the very best facilities for our children’s education.”

Maria Eagle continued: “This investment will make a genuine difference to the education of many thousands of school children across Northern Ireland. The challenge of falling enrolments has spread the education budget too thinly in the past. In future we need to ensure that capital investment makes the best use of resources and supports sharing across the different school sectors. The Strategic Review of Education will examine those issues, and how we can find new ways of working together to share resources and guard ethos."

She concluded by saying that she was confident that the Review will ensure that future resources can be targeted at improving educational outcomes, rather than being tied up in funding empty desks.

(EF/SP)