Strategy to manage crumbling NI schools’ estate unsustainable, auditor finds

The report said a new approach is required from Stormont's Department of Education to make better use of limited funding for maintenance and capital investment.

Comptroller and Auditor General Dorinnia Carville said her findings suggested the department "does not have a full understanding" of the true condition of the schools estate.

There are more than 1,100 schools in Northern Ireland - with a total estimated capital value of £4.6 billion.

In 2023-24, the department recorded a total capital expenditure of £276.4 million across the estate, and a spend of £28.4 million on maintenance.

The report concludes that the department is currently focused on keeping schools open and safe.

It said: "In practice, this means that funds are being directed at replacing and repairing critical estate issues, in lieu of a strategy based upon comprehensive data on the estate's overall condition, suitability and maintenance needs."

The report said the department estimates at current prices it will need 30 years and £3.2 billion to complete its current list of approved capital projects, with the current maintenance backlog estimated at around £450 million.

It states: "A continued reliance on a short-term, reactive approach will see the schools' estate continuing to deteriorate, leading to more reactive, and expensive, repairs and replacement works in the future.

"This may, in turn, impact negatively on value for money, delivery of education, and, ultimately, educational outcomes.

"The department fully recognises that decisions being taken to manage expenditure are having a significant impact on pupils and schools and that the current approach is unsustainable."

The report said an additional challenge facing the education system will be ensuring that the schools estate supports a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

It said current progress towards that target has been slow.

The report said: "No schools in Northern Ireland have been built or refurbished to a net zero standard, and it is estimated that retrofitting the schools' estate will cost upwards of £2 billion."

Ms Carville said: "While this report finds that the department's existing estate management practices address some aspects of good practice, the absence of an overarching strategy risks storing up greater challenges for the future."

"The schools' estate is recognised as a vital public asset, but our findings suggest that the department does not have a full understanding of its true condition.

"That is why this report recommends, among other things, the completion of regular condition surveys to inform future decision-making.

"This data will be vital in supporting a move towards better planning, prioritisation and preventative action which will support schools' sustainability and deliver better value for money."

The report also highlights that the Department of Education is currently committed to paying for 20 schools within nine Public Private Partnership (PPP)/Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contracts.

These schools remain in private ownership until contracts end, when their ongoing maintenance becomes a public sector responsibility.

Education minister Paul Givan said there had been "historic under-investment" in schools in Northern Ireland . He added: "I welcome today's report by the Audit Office which brings into sharp focus the maintenance backlog across the schools' estate and the challenges faced in managing the estate effectively including funding availability and rising construction costs."

• Morning View, page 14