AQW 6789/22-27


Ms Sian Mulholland
Alliance Party
North Antrim


Tabled Date: 16/02/2024
Answered On Date: 26/02/2024
Priority Written: No


Question:
To ask the Minister of Education how much has been invested in music education in (i) formal; and (ii) non-formal education settings, in each of the last five years.


Answer:
In the last five years the Education Authority (EA) has allocated the following amounts from its total block grant budget towards its Music Service. Some additional resource was allocated in 2020-21 and 2021-22 to mitigate the impact of the pandemic on Music Service delivery.
Year
Block Grant (Core) £k
Covid Funding - To facilitate online tuition £k
Covid Funding - Loss of Music Service Income £k
Total £k
2023-24
5,232*
-
-
5,232
2022-23
4,360
-
-
4,360
2021-22
4,985
22
-
5,007
2020-21
5,703
31
732
6,466
2019-20
5,081
-
-
5,081
*Latest forecast spend as per the EA’s January 2024 Monthly Expenditure Monitoring Report.
Furthermore, schools receive delegated budgets through the Common Funding Scheme to enable Boards of Governors and Principals to use resources in accordance with individual school’s needs and priorities, including effective delivery of the curriculum. It is for schools to determine how much of this funding is attributed to music in terms of curriculum delivery.