📣 EA Sets Out Savings Plans
In common with other public sector bodies, the Education Authority remains in an exceptionally challenging financial position.
In short, we are being asked to deliver important services to children and young people with insufficient funding.
The projected funding for this year is significantly short of what is needed to maintain current services, let alone address the growing backlog in school maintenance. This shortfall is despite continued efforts to reduce spending and comes at a time when demand for services and operating costs - including school energy bills - continue to rise.
There is now very limited scope to make further reductions without affecting services to schools and pupils. Around 83% of EA’s budget is spent on staffing - the bulk of it on school staff. Most remaining costs are fixed - like rates and utilities - or committed to statutory, essential services.
Against this backdrop, the EA Board has carefully considered available options and agreed a series of measures to further reduce expenditure. These were difficult decisions, which sought to balance our commitment to children and young people alongside the requirement to live within the funding allocated for the year. We are also mindful of the pressures across all public services in NI, and of the fact that any overspend this year may impact on next year’s finances.
🔗 Read more: ow.ly/3OG051055z2
In common with other public sector bodies, the Education Authority remains in an exceptionally challenging financial position.
In short, we are being asked to deliver important services to children and young people with insufficient funding.
The projected funding for this year is significantly short of what is needed to maintain current services, let alone address the growing backlog in school maintenance. This shortfall is despite continued efforts to reduce spending and comes at a time when demand for services and operating costs - including school energy bills - continue to rise.
There is now very limited scope to make further reductions without affecting services to schools and pupils. Around 83% of EA’s budget is spent on staffing - the bulk of it on school staff. Most remaining costs are fixed - like rates and utilities - or committed to statutory, essential services.
Against this backdrop, the EA Board has carefully considered available options and agreed a series of measures to further reduce expenditure. These were difficult decisions, which sought to balance our commitment to children and young people alongside the requirement to live within the funding allocated for the year. We are also mindful of the pressures across all public services in NI, and of the fact that any overspend this year may impact on next year’s finances.
🔗 Read more: ow.ly/3OG051055z2
