Period products: NI schools to get £400k grant
- Published
All-boys schools, which share classes with girls' schools, will also be provided with small grants of £50
Post-primary schools in Northern Ireland are to get more than £400,000 to provide free period products.
The Department of Education (DE) has confirmed funding to schools to provide free products to pupils in 2022-23.
Some all-boy schools have been allocated money if they share classes with neighbouring girls schools.
The three-year scheme to address "period dignity" in schools was approved by the Stormont Executive in 2021.
A separate bill to provide free period products to everyone who needs them in Northern Ireland became law on 12 May.
It was proposed by the former SDLP MLA, Pat Catney, and will be run by the Department for Communities.
It followed legislation previously introduced in Scotland, which made similar free provision.
Period poverty is when those on low incomes cannot afford or access suitable period products.
The scheme for schools in Northern Ireland also includes training for teachers in primary and post-primary schools to support them in discussing issues around periods with their pupils.
A bill to provide free period products to everyone who needs them in Northern Ireland became law on 12 May
Research by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) had suggested that periods should be talked about more often in schools "to remove the stigma around periods and period poverty".
Post-primary schools, special schools and Education Other Than at School (EOTAS) centres have now been told how much money they will receive to provide products to pupils in the 2022-23 school year.
The total amount of money being allocated to schools is £413,786.
St Louise's Comprehensive College in west Belfast, which has more than 1,500 pupils, is receiving £12,024, the highest amount to an individual school.
The allocations were calculated based on pupil numbers and the number of children entitled to free school meals in each school.
Eighteen all-boy schools have been provided with small amounts of £50 each, because they may share some classes with nearby girls' schools.
Primary schools will be provided directly with products in September 2022.
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