NI Education: Road safety calendars cut in school budget squeeze

The Department for Infrastructure has said it may not have the money to pay for road safety education materials

Road safety calendars provided to all schools are set to be the latest casualty of Stormont budget cuts.

Free workbooks for schools teaching children road safety are also at risk, according to an email to heads from the Department for Infrastructure (DfI).

The department has previously warned that road safety campaigns were in doubt due to funding pressures.

It is facing a 14% cut in its day-to-day spending budget compared to last year.

That had already led DfI to cut £75,000 in funding to schools for cycling proficiency lessons for pupils.

But in an email to headteachers, seen by BBC News NI, the department said it did not know if it had the money to pay for a range of other road safety materials provided free to schools.

"As you will be aware, budgetary constraints within the department has meant that there was no finance made available to pay instructors to deliver the cycling proficiency scheme this year," the email said.

"At this stage, it is unknown whether there will be any budget made available for the replenishing of resources for cycling proficiency or other road safety education initiatives."

According to the email, that includes "the printing and distribution of the next academic year's teaching aid calendars (issued to every classroom in nursery, primary and special schools)".

The department also said it is unlikely to be able to provide textbooks or grants to schools for a GCSE in motor vehicle and road user studies.

The GCSE course prepares students to become responsible road users and develops their interest in motor vehicles

Run by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), the GCSE teaches students about maintaining motor vehicles as well as the highway code and how to drive safely.

Students are also assessed on safely riding a moped.

Schools had been given a grant towards the cost of the moped, but that is also at risk.

The department urged school heads to respond to a current consultation on their budget.

The wider education budget was also cut this year, and the funding schools received for each pupil frozen.