A CARRYDUFF primary school is to get its dream new building after all – just three months after its funding was pulled by the government.
Near the end of February, cash that was supposed to have been set aside for construction projects in the integrated school sector was pulled and reassigned to Northern Ireland’s general budget.
That left Millennium Integrated Primary School without the money it needed to build its dream £5m new home.
The project won planning permission in 2020, but despite substantial preparation work hasn’t fully got under way.
But on Tuesday this week, Education Minister Paul Givan announced that the school’s new premises will now be funded, as part of an £80m boost to construction schemes he unveiled.
He moved several of the integrated schools that lost their promised cash into the Education Department’s conventional major works programme, allowing them to ‘proceed as envisaged’ – including Millennium.
“Today’s significant announcement will see 15 schools benefiting from new state of the art facilities for young people from Belfast to Ballymena to Enniskillen and beyond,” said Mr Givan, during a visit to Bangor Central Integrated Primary School.
“The investment will also provide a welcome boost to the construction industry over the next number of years.”
The minister added: “I also plan to launch a series of targeted smaller scale investment programmes to support and enhance the delivery of the curriculum in our schools.
“Potential schemes in this area will include specialist curriculum accommodation at post-primary [level]; outdoor play and PE in the primary phase and curriculum resources and equipment more widely.
“It is my priority to ensure the educational experiences of as many children and young people as possible across Northern Ireland are impacted positively by capital investment.”
Millennium Primary plans to build a 14-classroom new building, as well as a two-class nursery unit and hard and soft play areas.
