1 The delegation of financial responsibility
to schools
1. The introduction of LMS in 1990 heralded a significant
change in roles and relationships, not only between schools and
the Education and Library Boards, but also within schools. Since
that time, there has been a significant increase in the devolution
of resource and financial management responsibilities to schools
which have been accompanied by changes in the roles of Boards
of Governors and school principals. Boards of Governors, rather
than the Education and Library Boards decide how to spend a school's
delegated budget, including determining the staffing complement,
making decisions on staff pay and purchasing goods and services.
The school principal, in turn, is responsible to the governing
body for ensuring sound systems of internal control and that the
Education and Library Boards'/Department's financial requirements
are implemented.
2. The Department told us that, in general, it regarded
the overall strategy of delegating decision-making to school Governors
and principals a success.[5]
It afforded schools increased flexibility to identify local priorities
and to allocate resources to meet these needs. However, it accepted
that there is still much to be done so that the involvement of
Governors can be made as effective as possible.[6]
For instance, the Department told the Committee that more coherent
support is needed for Governors; difficulties with recruitment
must be solved; training should be improved; Governors and school
principals need to have a clearer idea of their respective roles;[7]
and parent governors need to be involved more in decision-making.[8]
It is particularly important, also, to ensure that schools in
poorer areas are not disadvantaged.[9]
The Department recognised that there is scope for improvement
and told us that it was revamping its training programme for Governors.
It is also encouraging better advertising to get a broader range
of individuals involved and to promote their role as "critical
friends".[10]
3. It was clear to the Committee that the effective
use of delegated resources is threatened by the difficult issue
of falling pupil numbers and surplus school places. There are
currently 45,000 surplus places in Northern Ireland and it is
projected that this will rise to a massive 75,000 by 2010. Funding
for pupils is largely linked to pupil numbers. Without addressing
the problem, hard won funds for pupils' education will be spent
on places and buildings surplus to requirements, diluting the
quality of education that can be offered.[11]
In 2002, the Public Accounts Committee of the devolved Northern
Ireland Assembly raised the issue of school occupancy levels with
the Department and expressed its expectation that the high level
of surplus places should be substantially reduced and called on
the Department to monitor this.[12]
This Committee expects the Department to give the issue of surplus
places in its schools early attention and to draw up a strategy
to handle this difficult problem.
5 Q 2 Back
6
Q 3 Back
7
Qq 11-12 Back
8
Q 60 Back
9
Q 65 Back
10
Q 12 Back
11
Qq 73-88 Back
12
Northern Ireland Assembly Public Accounts Committee Report, Indicators
of educational performance and provision (June 2002). Back
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