AQW 15812/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the amount of funding provided to schools to facilitate and enable Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools to date.
Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 26 September 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 26 September 2024
- Answer due by
- 11 October 2024
- Answered
- 11 October 202415 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Specialist Provision in Mainstream Schools (SPiMS) emerged in 2020 in response to the unprecedented increase in demand for specialist education. However, legacy ‘learning support’ classes have existed for many years. SPiMS are, and have always been, part of the continuum of special education provision for children and young people.
The Education Authority (EA) does not provide funding to schools to facilitate SPiMS, rather they are funded directly via the EA’s central budget. The total EA expenditure on the establishment and operation of SPiMS from 2020/21 (including projected expenditure for 2024/25) is £221.5m.
This does not include expenditure by Voluntary Grammar/Grant Maintained Integrated schools.