Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to improve the number of extracurricular activities offered to pupils at post-primary schools.
Minister of Education: My Department provides funding in respect of the Extended Schools Programme (ESP), which allows schools serving the most disadvantaged areas to offer a wide range of services or activities outside of the normal school day to help meet the learning and development needs of pupils, their families and local communities.
In 2024/25, over 360 extracurricular activities were provided by post-primary schools participating in the ESP.
In 2026/27, I am providing a further £8.1 million of Extended Schools funding to eligible schools to support the delivery of a broad range of extracurricular activities for the most disadvantaged pupils. This includes allocations of £1.66 million to over 60 post-primary schools across Northern Ireland.
As per my response to AQW 46233/22-27, beyond the ESP, schools can provide extracurricular activities at their own discretion, using their existing resources and in line with their individual priorities and the needs of their pupils.
ENDS
