Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson, Rosemary Barton MLA, has welcomed the announcement from the Chancellor of the Exchequer that he has awarded £66m funding for 23 local shared and integrated school projects, but has warned that other sectors are being crippled by lack of investment.

Rosemary Barton, a former teacher of over 30 years, said:

“This is a very welcome announcement and not only will it help local integrated and shared education provision, but will come as a major boost to the local construction industry.

“The problems across our entire education system however are very serious: schools of all sectors and sizes are in desperate need of capital investment. Even in my own constituency there have been several major school mergers and closures on the basis that new larger premises would be built. But that hasn’t happened and as a result schoolchildren and staff are working from premises that are far, far too small and wholly inadequate for them.

“Schools in the Controlled sector have been frustrated for many years - much longer than would be classed as reasonable. Capital projects for Devenish College and Enniskillen Model Primary School have been waiting for well over 10 years without their promised projects. Now we also have Enniskillen Royal Grammar School with a commitment of a new-build, which should not be subject to the same delays as others.

“It’s unacceptable that in 2018 there are children being taught in school buildings that are no longer fit for purpose. I’ve been in some school premises where roofs are leaking and where playgrounds are being lost to locate temporary mobile classrooms.

“This investment from Philip Hammond is very welcome, but it’s been a long time coming. It was promised in 2015 and the overall package of £500m has been constantly re-announced and recycled in the three years since.”