The committee made 11 recommendations as well as calling for urgent reform
Concern has been voiced around the maintenance of schools across Northern Ireland with a repairs bill which “could be up to £800 million”.
The Stormont Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee has called for an “urgent, system-wide reform of the schools’ estate management and maintenance”.
The committee published a report on Wednesday following their inquiry into managing the schools estate.
It received evidence from officials from the Department of Education and Education Authority (EA), as well as written evidence from the Health and Safety Executive NI.
The report found that schools are in a state of disrepair and that the current situation is “unsafe”, with significant maintenance backlogs that could pose a health and safety risk and jeopardise educational outcomes for young people.
The committee made 11 recommendations as well as calling for urgent reform.
Committee chair Daniel McCrossan criticised the department and EA for relying on a “reactive, short-term approach” and “poor governance”.
“In the course of our inquiry, the committee heard that, 10 years on from the formation of EA, poor collaboration between it and the Department of Education has continued to undermine the effectiveness of estate management,” the SDLP representative said.
“During this time, these two organisations have operated without a clear plan and relied instead on a reactive, short-term approach.
“This is an alarming example of poor governance that has failed to deliver value for money, meet the needs of school users and has likely contributed to the deterioration of safety and quality across the estate.
“To compound problems further, there is a lack of reliable, up-to-date data. Without robust information systems, effective strategic planning is impossible, and performance cannot be measured or improved.”
Mr McCrossan said there is currently no preventative maintenance plan and also backlogs relating to statutory remedial works, which he said are estimated to cost around £29 million.
The committee’s recommendations include that by early 2026, the department develops and publishes a comprehensive estate management strategy, together with an associated annual delivery plan.
They also called for the department and EA to review the roles and responsibilities of all oversight mechanisms and put in place appropriate governance structures to ensure that estate performance is regularly monitored.
Additionally, the committee recommended clear plans are developed within 18 months by the department and EA to ensure current special educational needs (SEN) provision is fit for purpose in advance of a targeted capital investment plan to expand the SEN provision across the schools’ estate.
Mr McCrossan added: “A modern, safe and inclusive school estate is not a luxury – it is the fundamental right of every child in Northern Ireland.
“The department’s current approach to estate management is unsustainable, ineffective and economically wasteful.
“There must be a new, collaborative working relationship between the department, the EA and schools.
“Listening to schools and involving them earlier could lead to faster, more informed responses to problems.
“A new estate management strategy must be developed and implemented without delay.
“The school estate must be seen as a valued asset and a key enabler of educational success – not just a collection of buildings to be maintained.”
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