§ Mr. Kilfedderasked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he is aware of the disquiet amongst school management committees in the controlled section about the practice of the Department of Education in agreeing to building projects in voluntary and maintained secondary schools, but rejecting any such proposals for controlled schools until decisions are taken on reorganisation; and if he will publish in the Official Report a full list of the secondary school schemes which have been permitted to proceed, with the estimated cost in each case, together with a list of the proposals which have been deferred, showing voluntary, maintained and controlled schools separately.
§ Mr. CarterThere is no difference in the criteria adopted by the Department of Education for Northern Ireland in approving secondary school building projects at controlled schools, and voluntary and maintained schools. The possible effect of reorganisation is only one of the factors which is taken into account in all cases. Many such projects in recent years have suffered delays at various stages of planning for a variety of reasons, not least the fact that finance has not always been available.
Details of all the proposed building projects which have been affected in this way are not readily available but major secondary school projects for which approval to tenders have been given in the past 12 months are listed below. Discussions are currently being arranged with area education and library boards in Northern Ireland to discuss the overall priorities for secondary schools in the years immediately ahead, and when these discussions are completed it is expected that approval within the finance available will be given to further projects in both the controlled and voluntary sectors.
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A. CONTROLLED SCHOOLS School Project Cost Date tender approved £ Cairnmartin Secondary School, Belfast … … … … … Playing Fields … … … … … … 79,431 24th March 1977 Lisnagarvey Secondary School, Lisburn … … … … … Extension to extension … … … … 597,394 20th April 1977 Clondermott Secondary School, Londonderry … … … … Extension and Youth Wing … … … … 692,958 21st April 1977 Carrikfergus Secondary School, Carrikfergus … … … … Access road … … … … … … 55,572 11th May 1977 Ardnaveigh Secondary School, Antrim … … … … … New School … … … … … … 1,379,458 2nd August 1977 Faughanvalley Secondary School, Londonderry … … … Extension … … … … … … 481,034 1st September 1977 Hopefield Secondary School, Newtownabbey … … … … Extension … … … … … … 130,224 21st December 1977 Ardnaveigh Secondary School, Antrim … … … … … Playing Fields … … … … … … 109,789 4th January 1978 Antrim Secondary School, Antrim … … … … … Extension … … … … … … 895,209 17th January 1978
B. MAINTAINED SCHOOLS School Project Cost Date tender approved £ St. Thomas's Secondary School, Belfast … … … … … Playing Fields … … … … … … 28,614 3rd February 1977 St. Colman's Secondary School, Ballynahinch … … … … Temporary accommodation and improvements … 28,071 5th April 1977 Cross and Passion College, Ballycastle … … … … … Extension and alterations … … … … 1,198,103 18th April 1977 St. Patrick's High School, Keady … … … … … Playing Field … … … … … … 55,671 8th August 1977 St. Mary's Convent Secondary School, Magherafelt … … … Art Rooms … … … … … … 39,832 7th November 1977 St. Colm's High School, Dunmurry … … … … … Temporary accommodation … … … … 45,390 15th November 1977 St. Augustine's Secondary School, Belfast … … … … Alterations to administration block, new changing accommodation, provision of fire doors. 59,813 27th January 1978
C. VOLUNTARY GRAMMAR SCHOOLS School Project Cost £ Date tender approved Assumption Grammar School, Ballynahinch … … … … Staff Room … … … … … … 39,880 22nd February 1977 Foyle and Londonderry College, Londonderry … … … … Additional toilets … … … … … 25,334 5th March 1977 Belfast High School, Belfast … … … … … … Playing Fields … … … … … … 42,146 30th April 1977 Belfast Royal Academy, Belfast … … … … … … Playing Fields … … … … … … 93,673 21st June 1977 Thornhill College, Londonderry … … … … … … New boiler system … … … … … 42,689 21st July 1977 Rainey Endowed, Magherafelt … … … … … … Pavilion … … … … … … … 91,000 10th August 1977 Coleraine Academical Institute … … … … … … Sports Hall … … … … … … 148,361 29th September 1977