Robin Newton
East Belfast · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member is aware that the Education Committee took on the very early role, as he requested. Mrs Dodds made the point that the Bill does not have a natural home, and that many suspect that its required budget will be much greater than that outlined in the Bill.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. She is absolutely right about how despicable a crime human trafficking is and about the attempt, via the Bill, to address it.”
“That is not the type of language that we expect to see from such respected bodies. Their overall concern is the education of our children. They represent schools, and they say that the Bill is "flawed" and "not fit for purpose", but it looks as though we will vote it through. <BR /> <BR />I move now to the history of the Bill.”
“Thank you. There seems to be a similar attitude to this legislation. We, on this side of the Chamber, and indeed others, have consistently argued that a private Member's Bill is not suitable for this type of legislation. The ramifications of the Bill are significant.”
“Again, it has been referred to that the chief executives of the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools; the Controlled Schools' Support Council; the Governing Bodies Association, which is the body covering voluntary grammar schools; the Catholic Schools' Trustee Service; the Transferor Representatives' Council, which represents the Presb…”
“As we have done at every stage, we oppose the Bill. Mr McCrossan is not in the Chamber at the moment, but I am not unlike him in the sense that I believe in all our children being educated together.”
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“You can see the connection between what Dr Purdy is saying and what the Minister is laying out in his in-year allocations for summer schemes, Youth Service, the Engage programme and Sure Start. The report feeds back into what the Minister is already intent on funding. <BR /> <BR />I will very quickly highlight a point that was made by Mr Humphrey and the Chairperson of the Health Committee. In key area 8 of Dr Purdy's report, "Ensuring Interdepartmental Collaboration and Delivery", he asks:”
“Dr Purdy and his team gave a number of examples of the approach: the Delivering Equality of Opportunity in Schools programme in the Republic of Ireland; the Flying Start programme in Wales; the Scottish Attainment Challenge; and the children's zones in west London, which is an international approach that came from Harlem, New York. The report says that, if this can be done:”
“The Chair of the Health Committee accepted that there is a need for a holistic approach. I hope that other Members, particularly from the Communities Committee, and the Communities Minister, would accept that promoting a whole community approach to education is what we want to achieve. There are excellent examples to follow. Key area 4 of the report says:”
“I do not expect that the Finance Minister's giving a dollop of money will be the only thing required. I do believe that if we are to succeed, we need to move to point 4 of the key areas that Dr Purdy and his team highlighted:”
“— the point that Mr Humphrey was making —”
“The expert panel refers to implementing the actions outlined in the report. There is a page and a half of that, but it is summed up in this way:”
“<BR /> <BR />The point that Mr Humphrey made is key area 1 in the report:”
“I thank the Member for that intervention. Absolutely: the case for early intervention is unchallengeable. If we do not invest in early intervention, what we get at the other end is much more costly to put right. It also has negative impacts on society as a whole. <BR /> <BR />The Member referred to Dr Purdy. I pay tribute to him and, indeed, to every member of his expert panel. They really rose to the challenge and worked within a very tight time frame to deliver what, overall, has been accepted as an excellent approach. Hopefully, this is the last approach that we will have. I can quote from at least four other reports that, in my political life, were to address underachievement, lack of investment, and how we go forward. I hope that this is the last report that will be necessary and that we will implement its recommendations.”
“In those areas of the Budget, there is a need for the Minister to support the New Decade, New Approach fair start programme. You cannot expend money on those issues or just do one-offs in those areas if you are not prepared to invest in and accept the findings of the expert panel on educational underachievement. Those areas need to be addressed with investment, leading on to the investment as outlined by the expert panel.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that you will not rule me out here, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker, but, in the 2021-22 Budget, the Minister sets out, under the confirmed in-year allocations that are not included in the final Budget departmental outcomes, a number of areas appropriate to DE: teachers' pay; the Bright Start summer scheme; the Youth Service summer programme; the Engage II programme; and the Sure Start programme. Those are all extremely relevant and meaningful areas of expenditure, and my colleague Mr Humphrey raised with the chair of the expert panel the need for a holistic approach to engage with the 2021 summer scheme, which is based on addressing the mental health of many of our pupils who, we believe, will have faced challenges over these days.”
“Thank you, Mr Principal Deputy Speaker. I understand, but the point I am coming to is the recognised need for additional investment from the Minister through the Budget for the provision of SEN resources. I will quickly move on. <BR /> <BR />There is temporary special educational needs provision in a school building in north Belfast. It is temporary in that it is in a building that is not entirely suitable. There is a site adjacent to mainstream schools in east Belfast where, with appropriate investment, there could be a high-tech, state-of-the-art, new-build special needs school, which is primary to addressing the need. We need the Minister to look at how he can effectively spend money towards that type of provision.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is right to say that, of all the issues, the one that has united the Committee the most has been the support for school places for children with special educational needs and disabilities and helping families and carers to meet the increasing demands that they face each day. The outgoing Education Minister needed support in that area, and the incoming Education Minister will need additional investment to create more school places in primary and secondary education. <BR /> <BR />Science continues to make progress, and, a relatively short number of years ago, some children may not have lived after birth.”
“It is an area that is in need of investment and an area that has faced challenges, and we as a Committee, both formally and informally, met the principals and leadership groups of special educational needs schools. After listening to the principals' group, you could not have come away from those meetings without having an appreciation of the very difficult job that those principals were doing, the fact that they were rising to the challenges, the fact that they needed more support than was being given and a special understanding of the challenges that they were facing. I believe that a special educational needs AME would be helpful as we move into the next budgeting period.”
“That should be where we get to after the review of education. Provision should be one of the objectives. <BR /> <BR />The Minister also outlines where the resource and cash reconciliation should go. Under annually managed expenditure (AME), 10 categories of expenditure are outlined, including the Education Authority; voluntary and grant-maintained integrated schools; the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment; and Middletown Centre for Autism Limited. I remember when we first debated the Middletown autism unit in the Chamber and were supportive of that. One of the big challenges that the Education Committee, the Education Authority and Department have faced is the provision of SEN education. Perhaps there is a case for special educational needs schools to be a new AME category.”
“Many of us recognise that we work in a difficult society, but we have an opportunity, as the review of education is undertaken, to look at what role primary schools and second-level education can play in addressing those last few words:”
“I support transfer testing and grammar schools in general, and others on the Committee are not supportive of that approach. However, by and large, we have risen to the challenge and have placed the emphasis on really doing what is right for each of our pupils and young people. It is not too strong to say that we have come through what can be described as a crisis, and thankfully — hopefully — we are coming out it with a much stronger education system than when we went into it. There has been a huge amount of learning by the principals and the teaching staff that will undoubtedly be of benefit to them in the longer term. <BR /> <BR />In what the Minister has put forward, under the subheading on detail and resource to cash allocation, he starts his outline by saying that the purpose of this is to ensure:”
“<BR /> <BR />The Education Department also rose to challenges, along with the Education Authority. On the Education Committee, we know the challenges that the Education Authority and the Education Department faced, particularly with regard to children with SEN. Pupil assessments in that area were taking twice as long as they should have taken. Every Committee member has been impressed by how that challenge has been taken on board under Sara Long's leadership, how she has risen to the challenges and the progress that she and her team have made. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee is made up of the disparate attitudes of each party that is represented on it, but, by and large, it is fair to say that we have carried out the scrutiny role very much in a positive way. We have certainly had differences. We have had differences of emphasis.”
“I want to go a bit further than the Committee Chair in paying tribute to every single teacher, all teaching staff and those who support the teaching staff: school assistants, classroom assistants, and the ladies and gentlemen who are the caretakers and the providers of food for the children. We owe a debt of gratitude to every single one of them, and, indeed, for the leadership from principals, because they faced huge challenges this year that have never been experienced previously, whether that was with classroom learning, remote learning or a combination of both, and then to come back into the classroom and conduct examinations or alternatives to direct examinations. Teaching and support staff have risen to those challenges, very much under the guidance of Peter Weir, to whom I have already paid tribute.”
“As I have stated previously in the Chamber, I believe that, by and large, pupils and young people in Northern Ireland get excellent teaching and educational facilities, not only in primary and secondary education, as we are discussing here, but up to third-level education. Many of our students, having had that good foundation in primary and secondary education, continue to university and are sought by universities in GB to take up their education there. <BR /> <BR />Given the academic year that we been through — I suppose that we could even call it the "pandemic year" as opposed to the "academic year" — it is only right that we pay tribute.”
“The Minister has indicated that he wants the debate to be on the general principles of the Main Estimates, and that is the direction that he hopes that Members will follow. I will follow that direction. In the Main Estimates document, in the introduction to the Department of Education, it states:”
“The Chair, on behalf of the Committee, outlined the serious problems and financial challenges that face Education. I wish Michelle well as she delivers on those in the coming months.”
“I welcome Michelle's appointment and, indeed, wish her well as she sets about delivering, perhaps in a different style, on the priorities that we all know.”
“I speak as a member of the Education Committee and agree with its Chairman: it is not every day that you start a debate with one Minister in place and end that debate with another Minister in place. Initially, I pay tribute to Peter Weir and the service that he has given since the Assembly was brought back into operation after three years. He has been unstinting in his attendance at Committee and in the Chamber. Whereas other Ministers have perhaps had to be encouraged — I will use that word — to attend Committee and to be questioned by Committee members, he not only attended but gave generously of his time at Committee. <BR /> <BR />It would be remiss of me not to wish the Minister who is incoming next Monday all the best for her tenure in the position.”
“Minister, you said that no sector would be given preferential treatment. Am I right in saying that, when area planning is carried out, the Irish-medium sector is an integral part of the area plan as it is being developed, rather than being treated separately from the area plan?”
“It seems that the answer is simply no. As Job Start currently operates, you cannot get a vocational qualification. You enrol in the programme, and you leave without a qualification to say how you have benchmarked against an NVQ level 1, 2, 3, or whatever it might be. <BR /> <BR />How many employers have enrolled to deliver the Job Start scheme?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer and I recognise that she recognises the strategic importance of the site for the economy of Northern Ireland. I understand, however, that there are a number of vacancies on the board. The board needs the expertise and the vision to move forward. It is also important that Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, which has a strategic vision for the immediate area of the site, be represented on the board. Does the Minister agree that there is an urgent need to fill the vacant positions and to have local representation on the board?”
“I thank the Minister for the report and thank the panel members for their speedy response to that in difficult circumstances. As the Minister said, it has been a long-standing issue. In fact, it has been a blight on society. I also thank the Minister for launching the report in Dundonald High School. He outlined the status of the school in his remarks. <BR /> <BR />Specifically, delivery of the report was an NDNA commitment and will, indeed, require a financial package. Can the Minister confirm that the Executive will support the initiative by providing that financial package, particularly to take forward the action plan?”
“We swiftly need to implement many aspects of that document, which, I think, was accepted unanimously by the Assembly a few years ago. It would have been unthinkable if the Minister had not allocated the £430 million to Health to address the situation.”
“As other Members mentioned earlier today, we know that Whitehall spending is under critical examination and review. That is likely to have implications for spending potential in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />I welcome aspects of what the Minister has been able to do within the constraints. I welcome the increase in the Health budget, which is an area that holds a special place in our mind at the moment. The Minister has been able to make £430 million available for the health service from COVID resources. Having got that money, the Assembly needs to think much more about having a strategic spending review. We need to think about reform of our health service. We need to think about the Bengoa report, which is sitting on a shelf gathering dust.”
“We all know that the regional rate this coming year and likely next year too is going to be reduced. <BR /> <BR />In paragraph 3.15, he indicates:”
“If ever there was a need to think about a three-year timescale when planning a Budget, it is encapsulated in what the Minister said in his introduction. In my latter days as a representative for east Belfast on Belfast City Council, I remember arguing — it was generally accepted, certainly by the senior officers in the council — that the council budget needed to be thought about in a minimum of three-year cycles, and perhaps even three-year to five-year cycles for the more strategic aspects of budget planning. <BR /> <BR />The Minister also rightly makes the point that his funding sources are the block grant, reinvestment and reform initiative (RRI) borrowing, European Union income, other income that he has not specified and, indeed, specific financial packages. He also highlighted regional rates as a funding source.”
“It is now 25 May 2021. <BR /> <BR />The Minister states:”
“In short, if you continue to spend more money than you earn, you will find yourself in serious trouble. To put it even more simply: you have to budget. You would think, in the current climate of the world's economy, that nobody had ever been warned about the dangers of debt. A significant amount of what the Minister has to play with this year comes via debt. It is COVID-19 money that has been borrowed by the Exchequer, and some day it will have to be repaid. It certainly will not be paid by me or a number of others here, but our grandchildren will end up repaying it somehow. <BR /> <BR />The Minister has presented the Budget and states in his introduction at chapter one:”
“I will just get myself ready. I did not quite expect to have the principal position of being the first Member to speak in this debate this afternoon. <BR /> <BR />I was thinking about this matter last night when my wife asked me a question. She said, "What is happening tomorrow in the Assembly?". I said that I would be speaking on the Minister's Budget Bill, and she said, "Well, I hope that you are speaking on the Micawber theory of economics". It took me a minute or two to work out what the Micawber theory was, but she reminded me anyway. She said, "It would do the Assembly well to think about the Micawber theory", and she reminded me that the advice came from 'David Copperfield'. Mr Micawber's theory was this:”
“I thank the Minister for her reply. She will be aware that the pumping station has been a problem for quite a number of years. In fact, on two occasions, seven, eight or nine houses were completely flooded with raw sewage. Moreover, those who live directly opposite, in a street — a residential area — live in the shadow of the building. <BR /> <BR />Five years is a long time to wait with that potential flooding at the back of your mind or an inappropriately sited facility directly opposite your house. Will the Minister try, as best she can, to accelerate the programme beyond the current five-year timescale that she outlined?”
“Ms Shakespeare talked to members of the Committee about the ability to physically handle a child. Her son Harry was a non-verbal pupil who had complex issues, and some of the actions that were carried out in his first school may well have made the situation even worse for Harry. <BR /> <BR />I welcome the fact that the Minister is picking up on the issues and is and has been listening to the words of the Committee on the issue and on special educational needs issues in general.”
“There is no doubt that we have a highly skilled teaching labour force and highly skilled support staff, and we have a career interest and a dedication among our teaching staff that may not be found in some other professions. I talked about the young man who moved school, and there needs to be a constructive ongoing relationship between the parents, the teachers and the school; indeed, that may well be helpful as the years of schooling run through. <BR /> <BR />Mr Allister referred to a particular incident; indeed, it is about how those incidents are responded to and about ensuring that, whenever an incident happens in a school, there is communication between the school and the parents so that there is a record of that. Hopefully, more professional advice can be offered in those situations.”
“I am pleased to say that I believe that the Minister is listening to those kinds of words in considering how the matter can be fully addressed. It is a difficult matter, but the Committee has addressed it and concentrated some of its work on it. There is no doubt that difficult situations arise, and there is no doubt that we need to empower teachers and increase their skills. That should be done; it should not even have to be considered. There should be continuing professional development throughout a teacher's life, and, indeed, as that teaching career develops, they should have the opportunity to pick up on training. Given that they are difficult situations, it should be accredited training, and it should gear us towards international best practice.”
“Indeed, there were indications from the parent that that young man, who had changed schools, had endured some difficult situations in the school. You would have had a heart of stone if you had not felt for the parent in those circumstances.”
“As was already referred to, we had an informal meeting with the mother of one young man, Deirdre Shakespeare, and her son, Harry.”
“I support the motion. In every motion that comes before the Assembly, you look to see what the key phrases or words are. The subject of this motion has united the Committee since we returned after our three-year break. Representation was made to the Committee from the special needs schools principals' leadership group. The Committee started to look into the many areas that were giving concern to special needs schools, teachers and support staff. The Committee has unanimously supported the work that is eventually rolling out to address special needs. As I said, it is a matter that has united the Committee. We used these key words in forming the motion:”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does he recognise that, as I said to Mr Sheehan, this is not an issue that is particular to Northern Ireland? It is an issue in other parts of the world, including some of the most liberal societies.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The Member is right: the Catholic education system is performing extremely well in Northern Ireland. We should all be glad about that, but this issue is not particular to the Northern Ireland education system. This is an issue that operates in various parts of the world.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Northern Ireland has an education system with an extremely good record on schools' ability to present pupils with opportunities that lead on to qualifications and university. Can the Member think of any reason why a member of one faith should not teach in a school that is predominantly another faith? Why should an applicant be refused that opportunity, if he is a well-qualified teacher of history, geography, mathematics or whatever, just because of his or her religion?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Minister, you will know that not all young people will want to use their qualifications strictly to go into university but may want to follow a professional course in higher education. How will those providers of higher education react to the decisions that you have announced today?”
“However, is there not another very important part of the jigsaw that is missing? We really need to see investment and the Finance Minister playing his part to address the problem along with the Health and Education Ministers.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The amendment calls for a longer-term strategy, to which the Member has just referred. Most Members have indicated that, primarily, that would involve the Health and Education Departments.”
“I thank the Member for giving way and for her amendment. I recognise that this is, basically, a health motion. The Member has just mentioned the closure of schools. If we are to address autism and allow those young people, in particular, to maximise their potential in society, surely we need a strategy that is health-oriented and education-oriented. Only when we get that joined-up approach from the two relevant Departments will the young people diagnosed be able to take their full place in society by maximising their potential and playing a full role. At the moment, we are tending to let them down.”
“Does the Minister have any word of proposals coming forward from the Health or Communities Departments for a holistic approach to that issue for our young people?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I welcome the £28·3 million of funding that will be made available to the Department of Education and specifically the funding for the recovery and support and re-engagement of our children and young people. <BR /> <BR />It is generally recognised by professionals in the field of mental health that we will face an increase of something like 20% of cases where there are mental health issues. That issue and the recovery of our young people cannot really be addressed by the Department of Education alone. The feeling, certainly in the Education Committee, I believe, is that there is a need to involve the Communities and Health Departments to address the issues professionally. Is there a plan?”