The Educational Authority (EA) has been warned than four out of five schools will be in a financial deficit in 2024-2025 if the allocated budget remains the same.
Minutes from an EA board meeting in June show approximately 40% of schools across Northern Ireland were in a financial deficit at the end of March 2023 increasing to 50% in March of 2024.
It is expected that the figure will rise to 80%, with the EA estimating an overall funding gap of £496m, if no further funding is allocated this year.
Members expressed concern during the meeting at the immediate and strategic impacts of an interim budget allocation on schools’ planning.
It was heard that the Department of Education are “not yet in a position to indicate when any additional allocations would be made available”.
In May, the Northern Ireland Assembly passed its first budget in three years which allocated £2.9bn to the Department of Education representing the second-largest division of funds after the Department of Health.
The Permanent Secretary indicated that the Department “recognised that achieving a balanced budget in the current financial environment was a highly challenging task that could not be done without unacceptable impacts”.
