To ask the Minister of Education (i) to detail the amount raised by schools through fundraising in each of the last five years; and (ii) for his assessment of any increased reliance by schools on fundraising and support from parents for simple operating costs.

Under current legislation raising additional funds by schools through fundraising is a matter for Boards of Governors. For this reason, my Department does not collect data on school fundraising activities.

However, in seeking to fully answer your question, the Education Authority has provided information on the levels of income that controlled and maintained schools have lodged into their delegated budgets, which these schools have classified as fundraising. The amounts for the last five years are outlined below.

During my frequent visits to schools, I hear firsthand about the significant financial pressures facing schools and, in some instances, schools having to fundraise or seek voluntary contributions from parents in order to fund basic operating costs. Clearly, this is a serious concern to me.

Additional and much needed funding for our schools is an issue that I continue to highlight to my Executive colleagues. Going forward, I will continue to take every opportunity to make the case for additional investment in our children and young people’s education. However, you will appreciate that my Department does not determine what its final budget outcome will be. Rather, education pressures are considered alongside the competing pressures of all departments with my Department’s overall budget allocation being decided collectively by the Northern Ireland Executive.