Almost three quarters of Northern Ireland’s mainstream schools are running over budget, according to latest figures.
Statistics from the Department of Education, show 765 out of 1,053 schools are either in deficit or have needed emergency financial bailouts from the Education Authority. This is equivalent to 73% of all mainstream schools.
Just 288 schools were operating within their budget as of March 2025.
The figures, obtained through an Assembly question to the Education Minister Paul Givan, cover controlled, maintained, voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated schools across Northern Ireland.
The crisis is most acute among controlled and maintained schools, where 754 out of 964 — more than three in every four — are over budget or in deficit.
Among voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated schools the picture is somewhat better, with 11 out of 89 in financial difficulty.
This represents one in every eight schools in that category.
SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA said the figures were stark but not surprising.
“Our schools are over budget in unprecedented numbers and facing financial pressures that have been building for years. The risks are clear: shorter school days, fewer subjects on offer, and an education system that is increasingly impoverished,” she said.
“At the same time, suspensions in post-primary schools have risen by 50 percent over the last decade, teacher retention is increasingly difficult, and fewer educators are willing to take on senior management roles, all signs of a system at breaking point.
“Whilst the Minister tries to rush through major reforms like TransformEd at breakneck speed, he must also focus on ensuring a well-resourced and balanced school system. How the Minister reconciles delivering a school system that protects pupils’ learning, improves educational outcomes, and supports teachers, remains a challenge with no clear plan.”
A Department of Education spokesperson told The Irish News that the education system was under severe and sustained strain.
“Years of under funding and limited structural reform in service delivery have combined to create a financial crisis in education,” the spokesperson said.
“On 4 February, the Minister published a Five-Year Education Budget Strategy, which is now out for consultation. This strategy seeks to address the structural funding challenges facing Northern Ireland’s Education sector by identifying sustainable and long-term solutions. Reform proposals have been guided by the clear principle of protecting teaching and learning while we put education on a sustainable financial footing.”