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Northern Ireland school budget reform report due John O'Dowd rejects Northern Ireland small schools move
(about 3 hours later)
Northern Ireland's education minister will reveal how he wants to change the way the budget for schools is shared out. A proposal to cancel extra payments to small schools, which could have led to the closure of hundreds of them, has been rejected by the education minister.
A report commissioned by John O'Dowd recommended heavy cuts for small schools and an increase in funding in deprived areas. It would have saved £28m a year, which could have been redirected to other schools in socially deprived areas.
The recommendation from an independent review, commissioned by the minister John O'Dowd, would have removed the extra support small schools get.
However, new planning for schools will probably mean many will close anyway.
The author of the report, Sir Bob Salisbury, says the rejection was predictable and that small schools are unsustainable in their quality of learning and cost.
The minister is supporting the report's idea to give more help to children in poor families, and he will give schools an extra £30m over the next two years.
There will also be more children eligible for free school meals, giving pupils of all ages the same rules.
From next year 15,000 more secondary and grammar school pupils will be able to claim free dinners for the first time.
The review found that the budget allocation needed to be fairer, more transparent and more logical.The review found that the budget allocation needed to be fairer, more transparent and more logical.
Every year £1.1bn is shared between more than 1,000 schools.Every year £1.1bn is shared between more than 1,000 schools.
The report, which was written by a team of education specialists, said some spending was not in line with government policy.The report, which was written by a team of education specialists, said some spending was not in line with government policy.
The most controversial idea was to virtually remove the extra payments given to support small schools, apart from a select few.
One teaching union claimed that would effectively mean the closure of hundreds of schools, mostly in rural areas and that may be too radical for Mr O'Dowd.
The report also said not enough extra money was being given to help pupils from low income families or with special needs.
However, it advised the minister to make schools justify the extra money they get and show how effective their work has been with those pupils.
on the Department of Education's website.