AQO 2582/17-22 Oral question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to outline her plans to improve the school estate at Larne High School.
Asked by Stewart Dickson MLA on 7 October 2021
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 7 October 2021
- Answer due by
- 18 October 2021
- Answered
- 18 October 202111 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 18 October 2021. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Miss McIlveen
Since 2019, four minor capital works projects have been completed at Larne High School. These were accommodation works for special educational needs, completed in November 2020 at a cost of £54,000; refurbishment of a 2G synthetic pitch, completed in July 2021 at a cost of £300,000; a Disability Discrimination Act (DDA)-specific accommodation scheme, completed in 2019 at a cost of £163,000; and a school meals accommodation project, completed in October 2021 at a cost of £828,000. The school also submitted minor works applications for an upgrade of boiler flues and roof works during the last minor works call in 2017. Unfortunately, those applications were not ranked highly enough to progress at that time, but they will remain on the new call list and will be considered for progression, should additional funding become available. Senior officials from the Department and the Education Authority visited the school in early July to discuss minor works with the principal and are aware of the issues at the school. The EA has completed a condition survey, which will inform the identification and prioritisation of any work at the school, and it will continue to engage with the principal in that regard.
Mr Dickson
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I am aware that the moneys that you set out have already been spent on the school. In reality, however, much of it has been painting over the cracks. For example, the new meals hall was needed because the old one fell down. That is the state of the buildings that we are talking about. Minister, will you undertake to visit the school to see at first hand the parlous state of the building? Despite the additional works that have been done, the building is not fit for purpose, yet the principal and staff are delivering an excellent education.
Miss McIlveen
I thank the Member for his question. Obviously, we have had discussions before in relation to that school and others in the east Antrim area. I gave a commitment to visit the school, and that was planned for September but, unfortunately, had to be rescheduled. I will be in contact with the Member with an update on a date for the visit when it is put in the diary.