Northern Ireland Education Minister, , has announced capital funding
allocations for 2024-25.
The Minister secured an additional £80million of capital funding
for education this year, which will allow fifteen important new
build and extension and refurbishment projects for schools from
all sectors to proceed to construction, as well as the launch of
a new programme of curriculum-led investment.
Visting Bangor Central Integrated Primary School, one the schools
which will now proceed to tender and construction, the Minister
said: “I am delighted to be at Bangor Central Integrated
Primary School where children and teachers will benefit from a
£10million new school. When the UK Government removed ring-fenced
Fresh Start funding, I moved this project and others to my
conventional major works programme. It will now proceed as
envisaged, as too will the project for Millennium Integrated
Primary School.
“Today's significant announcement will see 15 schools benefiting
from new state of the art facilities for young people from
Belfast to Ballymena to Enniskillen and beyond. The
investment will also provide a welcome boost to the construction
industry over the next number of years.”
The Minister continued: “I also plan over coming
weeks to launch a series of targeted smaller scale
investment programmes to support and enhance the delivery of the
curriculum in our schools. Potential schemes in this area
will include specialist curriculum accommodation at
post-primary; outdoor play and PE in the primary phase and
curriculum resources and equipment more widely.
“It is my priority to ensure the educational experiences of as
many children and young people as possible across Northern
Ireland are impacted positively by capital investment.”
The opening capital budget for education in 2024-25 is
£254million. This will allow continued investment in ten major
school build projects currently in contract or on site and
digital infrastructure across the schools' estate; keep schools
open and safe; and provide much needed school places for the most
vulnerable pupils with Special Educational Needs.
Over £50million has been earmarked to support Special Educational
Needs. It is also planned to commence construction of the
flagship Strule Shared Education Campus in Omagh, which will
provide five new post-primary schools.
Notes to editors:
- The schools' estate currently includes 1,116 schools with an
estimated capital value of over £3billion.
- Seven new build primary schools will now progress to
procurement and construction – Bangor Central Integrated Primary
School, Crawfordsburn Primary School, Edendork Primary School,
Glenwood Primary School, Mary Queen of Peace Primary School,
Millennium Integrated Primary and Scoil an Droichid
- Eight primary and post-primary schools will also receive
investment through major extension and refurbishment and new
build construction projects – Abbey Community College,
Carniny Primary School, Kilronan Special School, Lurgan Model
Integrated Primary School , St John's Primary School
(Kingsisland), St Malachy's College, St Mary's Primary School
(Barr) and St Kevin's College,
