Paul Givan
Lagan Valley · Democratic Unionist Party · Northern Ireland
“The EA's enhanced support model has been out for consultation. The Member's party is the largest political grouping on the Education Authority, so his party supported the model's being consulted on.”
“Protections around strike action and action short of strike are firmly established in statute for all workers, including teachers. If the Member is referring to the Education Inspections Bill, let me be clear: nothing in that legislation removes or undermines that right.”
“The issue was covered at length at the Education Committee. The position is still not where it ought to be. When I came into office, the position that I inherited was much worse than it is today.”
“It is an area that I have had to navigate, as have many previous Education Ministers. Industrial relations is an area that needs ongoing work. I have outlined how we can address it, but I come back to saying that, when workload was undefined, trade unions struggled to specify the challenge.”
“That is not a fair characterisation. In fact, I was with Justin McCamphill, the leader of NASUWT, at the launch of the curriculum reform, at which he commended me for it and said that he thought that it was good. I have sat in many a meeting with trade union representatives during which they have said, "This is a good initiative.”
“That is exactly why there is a 16-week consultation period, rather than the normal 12 weeks or the minimum eight weeks; to allow the public and teaching profession to very much engage in that curriculum, which I commend to all Members.”
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“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I will start by thanking Cara Hunter for proposing the motion, not just because of its content and wording but because of the substantive evidence base that she articulated in her speech. Clearly, a lot of work went into that and she cares passionately about the matter. I commend her remarks to the House: I thought that they were excellent, and I concur with them. Thank you to Cara for proposing the motion and allowing us all to have an opportunity to speak on this important issue. <BR /> <BR />The continued development of technology and how we use the internet to access information and to connect to others could be described as a double-edged sword.”
“I will wait to address the points, but I am quite happy to disabuse Mr Baker of his notion that, somehow, this is money not being well spent. We spend millions of pounds on mental health and well-being for our students. This is the single biggest cause of poor mental health and well-being, yet the Member is not in favour of spending £220,000 to try to help to address those issues. It is money well spent, and I very much commend it to the House. I welcome the fact that people are now getting on board with this approach, and I will say more about what is, I think, an excellent motion on the issue. People should not be penny wise and pound foolish, but that is exactly what Mr Baker's approach is.”
“We have an Executive meeting this Thursday, but I am concerned, because a lot of those organisations will need to put staff on protective notice. That would be detrimental and, given the fact that I want the funding to continue, unnecessary. I can allocate the funding only once it is drawn down, because it is held centrally in the Executive, not in my Department. I will confirm as soon as possible whether funding is being provided. I can give that assurance.”
“The Executive paper that I tabled not having been included in the agenda for 30 April, as the Member will appreciate, I sought urgent procedure approval.”
“The pathway fund is subject to and contained in the package of proposals that I put to the Executive on 8 April. There are 91 pathway-funded projects, all of which I wish to continue and all of which I recommended in that Executive paper. Approval will secure the projects that receive funding from pathway. Not having the paper approved is the reason for the uncertainty; I know that, in the Member's constituency, there is uncertainty about one project in Killyleagh.”
“<BR /> <BR />My Department has announced the introduction of a new system-level sample assessment in literacy and numeracy for pupils at the end of Key Stage. Those assessments will be administered and marked by the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment. The new arrangements are explicitly designed to minimise workload for teachers and remove the previous, workload-intensive Key Stage assessment arrangements that were based on teacher judgement. <BR /> <BR />The demands on teachers and school leaders have grown, with administrative burdens too often taking time away from what matters most: teaching and supporting pupils. TransformED places unprecedented emphasis on investing in high-quality professional learning and is about giving teachers the time and space to focus on what they do best.”
“Yes. Principals at the conference asked me, "Given the challenges and the pressures that we face, where will we find the capacity to take forward this transformation of our education system?". The answer to that is that, if we continue to do what we are doing, of course, the workload will be a result of our current inadequate systems. <BR /> <BR />Curriculum reform is vital because that will lighten the load in the classroom. Too often, teachers spend countless hours designing their class curriculum and preparing resources from scratch. Our reforms will support teachers in the classroom and reduce workload by providing high-quality resources and improved guidelines on the key concepts to be taught while allowing room for local context and innovation.”
“I thank the Member for his question. On 1 May, I was pleased to announce the appointment of the independent panel that will undertake the review of teacher workload. The panel will examine all aspects of teacher workload and will monitor the implementation of the series of workload commitments issued alongside the pay offer. The panel has been asked to report to me by the end of November of this year. The appointments to the panel were Paul Sweeney as chairperson; Larry Flanagan, the Northern Ireland Teaching Council nomination; and Liam Perry, the management side nomination.”
“We also await the outcomes of the scoping exercise. The findings of that exercise are due between the end of May and early June. That will inform the longer-term strategy.”
“Making sure that we had robust data was one of the issues, and I wanted to ensure that we had that. We made that commitment because we need reliable and comprehensive data and we have to have an evidence-based policy. The Department commissioned the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) to undertake a major household survey of parents' childcare requirements. That data and the administrative data being collected from the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme will inform the next steps. <BR /> <BR />The results of the NISRA survey were published on 8 May, and, for the first time, we have data on the area that have the authority of NISRA. I plan to engage directly with stakeholders on the findings later in the month in a continuation of the close engagement that my Department has had with key stakeholders.”
“That is in the agreed Executive Budget for the current financial year. The £50 million has yet to be allocated to my Department, as it is contingent on the Executive approving my early learning and childcare strategy proposals for this financial year. I sought Executive approval for them in a paper that I circulated to ministerial colleagues on 8 April along with a request that it be discussed and agreed at our meeting on 30 April. As it was not discussed, I have sought approval for the measures by urgent procedure. I hope to be in a position to make an announcement on that shortly.”
“I thank the Member for the question. I am committed to bringing forward the early learning and childcare strategy in the autumn of this year. That will support child development, making childcare more affordable and enabling parents to work. Recognising that people needed immediate help, however, I secured £25 million in the previous financial year and implemented a package of interim measures. That investment has made a real difference to thousands of children and families across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that we maintain the momentum established in the last financial year to expand the existing services, further roll out the Northern Ireland subsidy scheme and continue the standardisation of the preschool education programme. I have secured £50 million, with a further £5 million committed as part of June monitoring.”
“My team and the EA will continue to keep in close contact with the school. As we seek to make progress, matters around decanting and the support that would be needed will be well looked after. We have not reached the point of being able to allocate capital funding, however. I wish that greater levels of investment were provided to my Department for capital projects. When you bid in excess of £500 million but receive less than half of that, that is a demonstration of the financial pressures that exist. The Member is right to articulate the case for her constituency and for that school, but funding pressures exist across Northern Ireland. I will seek to do what I can with the limited funding that is available to me.”
“When it comes to capital investments that we seek to take forward, such as for the school that the Member has mentioned, we pursue the various stages. I welcome the stage that that school is at, which the Member has articulated. Before entering into a contractual obligation, we need to make sure that capital funding is available. We continue to keep that under review. There are significant capital pressures in the Department of Education to the tune of hundreds of millions of pounds. I am acutely aware of the needs of the school that the Member has mentioned. As we review our capital position and take any decisions on further progress, we will take those needs into account.”
“It is expected that the plan will then be submitted to my Department for consideration later that month. RAISE will potentially provide investment of over £183,000, which would be a fantastic opportunity for the Millisle and Donaghadee locality. I know that the Member has lobbied extensively for that and that he will support the programme being developed in his constituency.”
“Since the first engagement event that was held in Millisle and Donaghadee, which was in November last year, my officials have been working with key stakeholders to understand the context of the area and identify the key issues around educational underachievement. Children and young people from Millisle Primary School, Killard House School and Millisle Youth Forum have, along with their parents, been involved in engagement sessions. A workshop was held on 6 May to support the development of a strategic plan for the area. Key issues were discussed, including improving transitions and attendance. A locality reference group, consisting of a cross-section of all key stakeholders, will meet on 4 June to finalise the strategic area plan for Millisle and Donaghadee.”
“Excellence in education is simply not possible without greater equity, and, without addressing those inequities, education cannot reach its full potential for all pupils.”
“The roll-out of the RAISE programme in its localities across Northern Ireland is about investing in, monitoring and evaluating whole-community and place-based approaches to raising achievement and reducing educational disadvantage. That is key to my commitment in TransformED. More widely, narrowing the gap for educationally disadvantaged groups underpins every aspect of the TransformED strategy. As is the case in many international systems, there remains an extremely strong correlation between socio-economic disadvantage and educational outcomes in Northern Ireland. There are significant disparities in outcomes between schools with pupils experiencing similar levels of disadvantage.”
“I have addressed that issue before in the Assembly, including earlier in Question Time. We can have a circular conversation about academic selection. For over 20 years, that conversation has been taking place with no consensus being achieved. Academic selection has its supporters, and there are those who do not support it. I can engage in that debate and give my view, but the situation will not change. However, we can change every school, irrespective of the sector from which it comes, through the support that we will provide to every school leader and every teacher. The core of TransformED is about providing support for teacher professional learning. Every child will get the best possible opportunity in the classroom. I am determined to make sure that we have a world-class education system.”
“I commend the young people who have come through their primary-school education. The period of moving to post-primary school can be a challenging one. There will, undoubtedly, have been disappointment for some over the weekend, but they should not allow that disappointment to define who they are. Every school that we have will give a child an opportunity to succeed. We are ensuring through our approach in TransformED that there is an education system in which every child gets the best possible opportunity. I appreciate that there will have been disappointment, but they should not allow that to define them. There will be the opportunity to continue their education and career in Northern Ireland.”
“Now, 100% of children can get a funded preschool place, but it is the inequality of some getting full-time places and others getting part-time places that causes a lot of consternation among hard-working families who do not get the benefit of a full-time place. I want that to be addressed as soon as possible, and we are working towards achieving that over the next number of years. However, in the interim, the criterion exists. It is there by way of legislation, so it would require a change at Executive and Assembly level.”
“The child subsidy scheme, which this party developed, executed and took forward, is already helping to meet some of the costs for those families. We can develop the 22·5-hour standardisation. We have already brought 106 settings online for the next academic year. I want to bring another 100 online for 2026. The more resource that my Department gets, the more I can accelerate the process, but I want every child to be able to get that full-time provision. <BR /> <BR />In 1998, when the criterion was added, there were 11,000 funded preschool education places. That meant that only 45% of children in their immediate preschool year could access a funded place. That was the basis on which the criterion came in.”
“<BR /> <BR />Work on the standardisation programme is well under way, and I have already approved the first 106 preschool settings to transition to the standardised session length from September 2025. I want to transition a further 100 settings for September 2026. The full roll-out of the 22·5-hour offer will, however, take some time to achieve and will require significant ongoing investment by the Executive.”
“It was clear from the consultation and stakeholder engagement that, overall, there is no longer support for the indefinite retention of a statutory priority criterion in the context of the universal provision of preschool education for every child whose parents want it. However, there was a lack of consensus on when that change should take place, with indications that the removal of the criterion would only be widely supported when all children had access to 22·5 hours of preschool education per week. It is my intention to move to a position where 22·5 hours is the standard offer for all children and the legislative criterion can then be removed completely.”
“Admissions criteria are set by preschool providers, taking into account guidance provided by the Department, and thus the Department cannot amend them. However, legislation requires that providers must prioritise children from socially disadvantaged circumstances in their admissions criteria. I am of the view that that legislative priority needs to be revised. It was established at a time when preschool education was not universal to prioritise the children who would benefit most from access to preschool education. Today, every child whose parents want it has access to a year of funded preschool education, so the original purpose for the priority criterion no longer applies. <BR /> <BR />My Department carried out a public consultation exercise in 2021, seeking views on proposals to amend or remove the priority criterion.”
“I thank the Member for the question. It is important that there is absolute clarity on the matter: the Education Authority, not my Department, provides the operational guidance to schools. Therefore, it, first and foremost, needs to ensure that its guidance complies with the Supreme Court ruling. I am clear on the approach that needs to be taken in light of the UK Supreme Court ruling. In my response to the original question, I outlined where we need to be on those issues. As my officials continue to review the implications of the UK Supreme Court ruling, we will take further steps in that regard.”
“The Member is right to say that every child in our education establishments should not be bullied and not be harassed. Where that takes place in schools, effective measures need to be put in place to address such issues. Those measures should be applied irrespective of sexual orientation. We want every child to feel safe in our school settings.”
“I thank the Member for his question. I have asked my officials to consider the implications of the ruling across the education system in order to ensure that the Department, all its arm's-length bodies (ALBs) and schools are in compliance with the legal definition of "sex" and balance the rights of all pupils. It is an important issue, on which the UK Supreme Court has made a ruling. It is important that I follow the law, that all Departments follow the law and that all those in the education system follow the law.”
“In light of the recent UK Supreme Court judgement, I have asked my officials to consider the Department's policy in that area. I intend to set out the Department's policy on the issue in the coming weeks. Let me make it clear, however, that, regardless of the recent court decision, I do not believe that a boy who identifies as a girl should participate in girls' sports or use girls' changing and toilet facilities.”
“The plan that I am taking forward is a Department of Education-led plan. All of it has consensus, because we are all in agreement that we want the very best for every single school. The Department of Education is leading on the plan, and we are making significant progress. I took heart not just from the number of principals who told me at the conference how they felt very enthused and optimistic but from those who had low expectations for it and did not think that it would be worth attending. They now very much get the vision, however. It is not my vision. Rather, it has to be our collective vision that we make Northern Ireland's education system the very best in the world. That is what our children deserve.”
“<BR /> <BR />I am therefore embarking on taking a comprehensive approach that focuses on supporting teaching and on reforming the curriculum, assessment, qualifications and school improvement. All are fundamental to educational excellence. The next steps for education in Northern Ireland must be underpinned by a commitment to investment and reform in each of those areas.”
“They were chosen because the research tells us that they are the right things to do. It is clear that high-quality teaching and learning are at the heart of driving educational improvement. Successful school systems ground changes in the classroom by focusing, first and foremost, on teachers and the content that they deliver. Moreover, over the past decade, those areas have received limited focus and investment, and all need reflection, evaluation and improvement. For too long, we have focused on structural issues in Northern Ireland, whether those be academic selection or types of schools, and I believe that we have focused on those issues to little avail. The heart of education lies in the classroom. We need to focus on what and how children learn and for what purpose.”
“<BR /> <BR />Over the coming months, we will be accelerating our plans for literacy and numeracy strategies, assessment and qualifications reform, and school improvement, as well as tackling teacher shortages in maths, science, technology and IT. Each of those steps is part of a coherent, evidence-based approach to build a system that does not just compete with the best in the world but sets a new standard for excellence. I commend it to you.”
“<BR /> <BR />There has also been progress across a range of areas, including curriculum, assessment and teacher professional learning. For example, working with the Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), my Department has introduced a new system-level sample assessment in literacy and numeracy for pupils at the end of each Key Stage. I have also launched a new programme called Making Best Practice Common Practice, which aims to help bridge the gap between academic research and classroom practice. The programme includes funding for schools to support research-informed conferences, a monthly newsletter for teachers on the science of learning and a quarterly Northern Ireland publication for teachers on wider education research.”
“It has been an eventful two months since I published the TransformED Northern Ireland strategy on 11 March. In April, I unveiled the delivery plan for the strategy, which translates the strategy’s vision into actionable steps. It outlines key delivery partners, indicative timescales and costs. <BR /> <BR />Last week, I held the first TransformED conference to explore what TransformED means for our schools. The conference was attended by over 500 school leaders, policymakers and education partners. The key speakers were members of the international ministerial advisory panel, which I established in January. The conference was the first of its kind for many years and a fantastic event. The buzz, excitement and optimism from our school principals, as they heard world-class insights about education, was very clear.”
“Two early-intervention programmes that are co-facilitated with the Police Service are at the planning stage for delivery in the city area. That demonstrates that we are taking forward schemes to try to help in that community.”
“Groups will be notified in the coming days regarding the outcome of their application. <BR /> <BR />The EA Youth Service is also funding local youth provision to be delivered in the Waterside area over six evenings per week. This is funded by DE and the Department for Communities. Those programmes are primarily focused on providing a safe space for children and young people to access universal services and provide alternatives for them. <BR /> <BR />We also have the Connect project, which is for young men who have been victims of sectarian violence or paramilitary-style attacks. They are being supported in a one-to-one process. There is the Engage project, which is working with young people in the Waterside who are vulnerable to exploitation from criminal gangs. That is in operation.”
“I thank the Member for that question. A number of interventions take place in the Foyle constituency. There is a local project funding opportunity, and funding has been awarded to voluntary youth work providers working specifically with young people from Irish Street and Top of the Hill, which is an interface area. That project funding will focus on early intervention support to engage children and young people from those areas with a view to building more positive relationships between the two communities. <BR /> <BR />The Education Authority has also administered the Executive Office planned intervention programme and the T:BUC — Together: Building a United Community — programme for the 2025-26 year. I confirm that a number of applications have been submitted from groups in the Foyle constituency.”
“When we look back at where we were many years ago, undoubtedly progress has been made. However, much more progress has still to be made. We need to make sure that we do not create opportunities for the more sinister elements in our communities to exploit in order to whip up tension. Therefore, I agree with the Member. It is important that we give leadership on those issues.”
“Absolutely. I agree with the Member. Political leaders, in their constituencies and at a Northern Ireland level, should give leadership in a way that does not inflame tensions, so that those tensions can be mitigated. That is important. We have moved on so far in our society.”
“As a result of the funding being made available by the Executive programme on paramilitarism and organised crime (EPPOC), a programme is in place to provide wrap-around education services to children and young people facing significant challenges in the greater Shantallow area. The programme of flexible interventions was designed and implemented in partnership with experienced delivery agents and delivers against both my Department's and the EPPOC programme's objectives. It is managed by the Greater Shantallow Area Partnership. While the Education Authority's Youth Service is not delivering any youth interventions physically in schools in the Foyle constituency, it is delivering several interventions outside the school environment to counter increasing tensions between communities.”
“In each locality, a strategic area plan will be delivered. The local reference group will draw together the key organisations that will be part of the process, building the relevant people to be part of it and developing those plans. When they produce that, ultimately, it will still come to the Department for approval. That will gain the widest possible collaboration and ensure that cross-cutting initiatives are supported. <BR /> <BR />I am excited about this. It is a good opportunity to get into the communities with the highest levels of educational underachievement and make a real difference and to do it in a localised context in order to tailor the educational programmes for maximum possible impact.”
“Now, after reflection, some settings or areas that wish to include some areas that do not strictly fall within the clearly defined red lines, if you want to call them that, will have the flexibility to do so, albeit within the funding allocated to those areas. If they decide to include some other provision from outside the area and if it is a close neighbour, there will be flexibility, and that reflects the concerns that were raised with me. <BR /> <BR />Now, having allocating the funding, we need to see the programmes come forward so we can get the money into our communities to be effectively spent. Having secured the funding, I want to go back unashamedly to the Irish Government and say, "We need continued funding for this", so let us get on with the work.”
“Yes. Concerns were raised, and we provided transparency on the data that was used. I assure the Member that a wide range of indicators, including free school meal entitlement, were used to shortlist the super output areas for potential inclusion in the programme. The methodology for the selection of RAISE localities reflects the findings and recommendations from the 'A Fair Start' report that was published in June 2021. There was a sound rationale for the methodology. <BR /> <BR />I am delighted that we have a regional geographical spread. Interestingly, some councils that made representation might well not have got any funding had we not taken the approach and methodology that were taken to provide a regional spread.”
“The Member makes a really valuable point. That is very much what RAISE is about. It is a whole-community response. It is not a school-led initiative; it is a community-led initiative. Therefore, it is important that, as programmes are developed, there is collaboration with interested stakeholders, whether they be parents, community-based organisations or, indeed, schools. Those can be community or statutory organisations, including those involved in the health service. RAISE is about bringing forward the community-led initiatives that will have most impact on raising educational achievement and helping young people to realise their aspirations.”
“Very much so. The Member has had me visit a number of areas in his constituency, and there is a clear desire for the project to be successful. I am pleased that we have made significant progress in allocating the funding that has been provided through the Shared Island Fund. We have now been able to allocate that funding, and each group has been given the figures that they have to work with. That work is being taken forward so that we can deliver, particularly on closing the educational attainment gap that very much exists in our communities.”
“One strategic area plan will be produced for the north Belfast locality that will set out the range of needs of children and young people in RAISE areas in North Belfast and prioritise objectives that will support their educational achievement and aspirations. The north Belfast locality, alongside the other RAISE localities, will submit its draft strategic area plan for assessment and approval by an assessment panel led by my Department. Organisations will then be invited to submit applications for individual projects to deliver against the priorities in the plan.”
“There has been very positive engagement with stakeholders in North Belfast through locality engagement events, focus groups, individual meetings and strategic area plan workshops. There has also been engagement with parents and with children and young people led by Parenting Focus and Stranmillis University College respectively, and their findings will support the development of the north Belfast strategic area plan. <BR /> <BR />The north Belfast locality reference group met on 9 May. The group comprises members from a range of educational settings and voluntary and community organisations and others with a valuable role to play in supporting children's learning in the north Belfast locality. The group is representative of the locality and is open to those with a role in developing the strategic plan for the area.”
“I have asked them to give me a solution that would meet what, I know, the Member and other Members who have made representations to me on this want. It is frustrating for me that I am not in that position today. I understand that it is much more frustrating for those involved that we still do not have the clarity that is needed to make the progress that, I know, the Member wants, and I will continue to persevere on his behalf.”
“Mr Bradley has been a consistent and passionate campaigner for progress to be made on the site. He has made representation to me on a number of occasions. The challenge that has presented is with the significant, major capital expenditure in order to facilitate location on the site that had been identified and with which the Member will be familiar. I have met officials and suggested that they need to look at an approach that makes it much more manageable financially. My preference is that we commence the work at the preferred site. That is what I want the day-1 solution to be, and that is what I am still asking my officials to work towards. They are reviewing the process that was brought forward.”