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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“<BR /> <BR />Those pressures that are deemed to be inescapable and high priority come to £337 million, and there is a forecast gap in my capital budget of £91 million, so the picture for the next financial year is really difficult. I say that to colleagues around the Chamber who rightly challenge me to do more for schools. I can only allocate what I have available to me. To be fair to the Executive, whilst it is my job to advocate for my Department, all my colleagues are facing these challenges, and the Executive as a whole are not being funded at a suitable level. However, we need to give Education the priority that it deserves.”
“It is a challenge that I have. Colleagues around the Executive table all have challenges, but, in Education, they are particularly acute. The latest assessment of the draft Budget for my Department indicates an inescapable resource pressure totalling £261 million. The £261 million shortfall means that the Department will not be able to fund a number of areas, including the EA's block grant when it comes to SEN non-pay pressures and maintenance pressures. That is increasingly a cause for significant concern. I refer Members to the Audit Office report on managing the school estate. There will be increasing school deficits. Non-SEN pressures that are funded by the EA block grant include, but are not limited to, home-to-school transport, catering and ICT. There are other high-priority pressures of around £76 million.”
“I thank the Member for that question because it raises the important issue of the financial needs that we have, and I have spoken about those already. <BR /> <BR />The challenges that we are facing in the current financial year are difficult. We are facing an overspend but are working incredibly hard with the Education Authority to bring our budget into line this year. A huge amount of work has to be done to achieve that. I am confident that we will be able to reach a break-even position in this financial year but that will be a result of our not putting resources into areas in which we should have. We have challenges with our capital budget, but I am confident that we will be able to bring the capital budget into line. The next financial year, though, presents a really difficult challenge.”
“While we have hundreds of young people aged three, four and five who do not have placements, we also need to make sure that there is support for the young people who are leaving the formal education system and are transitioning to become the responsibility of other Departments. There is more work to be done to get those pathways right. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to the event in the Long Gallery on Wednesday, when we will be able to see and hear from some of the young people. It is important that their voices are heard in all of this.”
“When I look at the issue, I ask myself how we can support children and young people who are coming through the education system. I have been in schools that demonstrate to me how, as they create those post-19 pathways, they work with the Department for the Economy and, in some cases, Health to make the transition process work very well. There are good examples of that work, and it is about creating the ability to be independent of the education system while continuing to be supported by the Government. <BR /> <BR />As the Education Minister, I can also say that, in the previous academic year, we had to create over 1,400 new places for children with additional needs. I am engaging with the EA because the environment that we face for the next academic year presents real challenges.”
“I thank the Member for raising that matter. I will attend and speak at an event on Wednesday evening in the Long Gallery. I met Alma, Caleb's mum, and I absolutely understand her concerns. They speak to the need for many of our Departments, including Education, Economy and Health, to work together on the issue so that, when children and young people come through the formal education process and are transitioning to post-19, the proper support and pathways are in place for them to do that. That has to be achieved through a collaborative approach that includes those three Departments.”
“If we can do that right, we will be supporting the life opportunities for those young people. Of course, where there are issues on which I need support from Executive colleagues to carry out the Department of Education's work, I will seek it. There are, however, many pieces of work that I am able to take forward in my Department that fall within my purview. I am determined to continue to drive forward that progressive review of our curriculum that I am carrying out.”
“As we take forward the review of the curriculum, one of the areas that I want to build on primarily is a review of literacy and numeracy. Those are the two key areas of any education system that provide the basic building blocks. Unless you are proficient in literacy, you will not be able to read your history or geography books. Therefore, it is critical that we maximise the number of young people who are competent in literacy and numeracy. However, that is also one of the key drivers for closing the educational gap that exists between those who have and those who have not. <BR /> <BR />For young people from disadvantaged backgrounds, the opportunities that our schools provide are their only hope. We need to make sure that we provide the right support to every single school in Northern Ireland.”
“I assure the Member that, while curriculum review may not be in the Programme for Government, I am taking it forward. I did not have to wait for a Programme for Government to be agreed in order to get on with a huge amount of work in my Department. The review of the curriculum is an important piece of work. Everyone would agree that we need to ensure that our curriculum is fit for purpose, so a review of it is timely. I look forward to that work being concluded by Lucy Crehan, whom I commissioned to carry it out for me. We will look at what that says, and we will take forward further work as a result.”
“Those schools are important to their communities, so they are important to me. If there are issues that need to be addressed, I am happy to look at them and where I can act, I will.”
“OK. I am happy to look at that issue. I am meeting one of the Irish language groups in the next half hour or so. That may well form part of that conversation. <BR /> <BR />I have indicated that I very much want to support all of our sectors. When I have visited schools that provide education through the medium of Irish, I have been very encouraged. The results speak for themselves.”
“Yes. I very much agree with the Member about the importance of that work. That is why I outlined in detail the reasons why it is important to support it. The Ulster-Scots Agency does good work in that area. It is, though, an arm's-length body of a different Department, and I know that having support to carry out its work is always a challenge.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ultimately, our schools and teachers have the freedom to choose the contexts, topics and themes that are most appropriate to their learners. It is entirely a matter for individual schools to determine how they use their delegated budget to support delivery of the curriculum, including which external providers to engage with to enhance the delivery of lessons in the classroom. Schools are best placed to assess the needs of their pupils.”
“Music education provides more than short-term benefits; it fosters a lifelong appreciation of the arts. <BR /> <BR />My Department is aware of the Ulster-Scots Agency's work in primary schools, which aims to use Ulster-Scots traditional music to offer young people opportunities to explore the historical origin of the instruments and the music itself. Pupils have other opportunities to learn about Ulster-Scots culture and language in the classroom. At Key Stage 3 level, the "Local and global citizenship" strand of the "Learning for life and work" area of learning provides pupils with opportunities to investigate ways in which individuals and groups express their identity through, for example, dress code; language; musical and sporting traditions; and religious and political opinion and beliefs.”
“First, I appreciate the many benefits of our young people learning about the Ulster-Scots culture and language in our schools, including through the means of musical instrument tuition. <BR /> <BR />When it comes to the benefits of instrument tuition more generally, music is a statutory requirement of the Northern Ireland curriculum under the arts area of learning. Encouraging pupils to love and play music in schools is important, and providing opportunities for them to learn musical instruments should also be encouraged. Pupils benefit not only from learning musical instruments but from the development of their creativity, social skills and confidence as individuals and as members of a group. Playing an instrument can also enhance memory, attention and problem-solving skills.”
“I am happy to look at the issue that the Member has raised. Procedures are in place in the EA for maintenance works that need to be carried out. It has a help desk, and there is a way to contact it. I am happy to look at the particular issue that the Member has raised and provide that information to him.”
“<BR /> <BR />I have confidence that the governance of the processes that are in place in the Education Authority and the Department of Education is appropriate. However, I will not carry out a review because of contrived mis-concerns that deliberately targeted a particular school from one particular sector.”
“It is important that people have confidence. The Northern Ireland Office carried out work regarding its view on the minor works projects. When that report was compiled, it provided some assurances in that respect. <BR /> <BR />The Committee has looked at a particular issue. When we carry out a review, it is important that it is based on credible evidence, not on a contrived concern that was wrongly articulated about one particular school by those who used that school. I hope that those Members have taken the opportunity to apologise to the principal. Some of them did not seem to know how to contact him or did not have his mobile number: I am happy to provide it to Members, should they feel the need to do that.”
“If I have that resource, I will want to put it into schools. <BR /> <BR />We are carrying out important work with the Education Authority to make it easier for schools to address some of the issues so that, when they commission the work, they are able to do so in a way that is more affordable to the school. That is part of what I spoke about in the Chamber previously; I have reiterated the work that is ongoing to do that. We need to balance and be proportionate in ensuring that we get value for money for the taxpayer and that schools are able to get low-level work carried out. That is why I have increased the threshold for that sort of work from £5,000 to £10,000. I am keeping that under review, and, if I believe that it could be higher, I will be prepared to consider that.”
“The Member highlights a real challenge. At least 60% of our schools are in a deficit position, but that indicates that there are schools in a surplus position. It is always worth looking at the underlying reasons for how things stand and at how the common funding formula is pulled together when it comes to the allocation of funding to particular schools. There are many component parts, including whether it is an old building or a rural building, that influence how much funding goes into a school. The number of pupils in a school is another factor, and that is why it is important that we have sustainable schools. The point around the financial needs in schools and trying to increase their budgets is well made. I have increased school budgets, but, of course, more funding needs to be allocated.”
“The Education Authority is aware of the ongoing issues and is ensuring that works are appropriately triaged and implementing alternative contingency arrangements, where required. <BR /> <BR />In addition to the new term service contracts, the Education Authority's maintenance service is reviewing how it can provide the most efficient and effective model for schools to procure low-value maintenance works while ensuring compliance with health and safety standards and quality standards. That will be for maintenance works that form part of tenant responsibilities, such as painting and carpeting. It is anticipated that any changes will be implemented in the coming academic year. The Education Authority will advise schools when the change has come into operation.”
“The Education Authority is in the latter stages of procuring the new term service contracts for maintenance and minor works. Two contracts have been awarded, with a planned commencement date of 1 April, and the other four are well under way. It is anticipated that the new contracts will be implemented across Northern Ireland on a phased approach by September 2025. The new delivery model will include key performance indicators to monitor quality of workmanship and adherence to response and completion times. There will also be cost certainty, which will provide assurance and transparency to school leaders. <BR /> <BR />While the service transitions to the new model, there are contractor contingency arrangements. Unfortunately, that is impacting on delivery on the ground in schools in some areas.”
“I appeal to Members to join me in the efforts that I am making to enhance the financial resources that are available to my Department so that I can deliver for the school that the Member has outlined and for the other schools that, as other Members bring to my attention, need support.”
“In this financial year, at least £50 million has been spent on putting in place specialist provision in mainstream settings and on enhancing some of our special schools, and that will continue to be the case in the next financial year. The Department has not had a corresponding increase in its funding allocation. <BR /> <BR />Special educational needs takes priority, rightly and understandably, but many other parts of the school estate require capital investment. I submitted a bid for hundreds of millions of pounds more than what has been included in the draft Budget.”
“The Member answers his own question by mentioning the financial resources that are needed. I have been in post for a year, but I have not been able to put out a call for major capital funding to attract people to make an application, because there are so many schools in the pipeline, and those are not being delivered. I would be giving false hope if I were to make such a call, given how many schools are waiting to get support. I want to support all our schools. <BR /> <BR />We also face a real challenge with the increase in our special educational needs provision. That is part of the tension in the Education Authority.”
“I thank the Member for his question. Other colleagues have raised similar concerns. I have discussed the matter with my officials today. I have not taken any decision to end the work taking place on school enhancement projects. My officials are urgently engaging with the Education Authority to find out why it has taken that approach. I certainly do not agree with it.”
“I very much look forward to visiting the school. I have now visited well in excess of 150 schools across Northern Ireland. Dundonald High School, like many other schools, is rightly asking — indeed, demanding — that we, as elected representatives, support it. I want to support all the schools across Northern Ireland, including Dundonald High School, but we are not able to do so in the financial environment in which we currently operate. Only through significantly increased investment in our school estate will we be able to make the difference. Despite that, Dundonald High School offers our young people an excellent education. The Member is rightly proud of the school, which is in her constituency, and she is a strong advocate for it. She has certainly made the case to me, and I look forward to joining her on the visit.”
“Given the current limitations on the Department's capital budget and the projects that are already in the pipeline, there are no immediate plans for a call for new major capital works. Should a future call be made, it will be a matter for the managing authorities to prioritise the schools most in need of major capital investment. Submitted schools will then be assessed against the funding eligibility criteria set out in the Department's protocol for the major capital works programme or school enhancement programme, which is published on the Department’s website. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to visiting the school later this term, following the invitation from the Member and her colleague Mr Brooks to do so.”
“I thank the Member for the question. There are currently no plans for a new school build for Dundonald High School. The Education Authority's minor works team has advised that additional accommodation provision was completed at the school in September 2021, which was achieved through the refurbishment and reconfiguration of existing school buildings.”
“I am happy to respond. That issue is wholly unconnected, but it is good to get the building blocks in place in our childcare facilities when it comes to literacy. The evidence indicates that the complete opposite of what the Member outlined is true. Systematic synthetic phonics has been the norm in England since 2006, during which time England has risen rapidly up the international levels. We have a strong phonics-based approach, but the evidence suggests that systematic synthetic phonics is the best approach to building a strong literacy foundation. The context for using phonics can also be applied, but the evidence indicates that the best approach to literacy for our young people is through systematic synthetic phonics.”
“My officials continue to engage with the Department of Health on that issue.”
“Yes, I have met the Childminding Association, of which Patricia Lewsley-Mooney is head, on a couple of occasions as part of the roll-out of the scheme. I put on record my thanks to that organisation. The scheme's introduction created some challenge for people to get the appropriate processes in place. The Childminding Association was very helpful in my doing that. It also facilitated engagement opportunities for me to meet childminders for them to relay to me the environment in which they work. Ratios, which the Member mentioned, was one issue that was brought to my attention. The Member, rightly, highlighted the fact that that matter sits with the Department of Health in terms of child safety and safeguarding, but, where we can make progress as to what is proportionate, we should do that.”
“However, I will continue to roll out the programme for the next academic year.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is crucial that we also sustain the real improvements that have been made across all strands of the package, including additional support for children who face disadvantage and for those with additional needs. That will be a priority. We also need to continue the roll-out of the standardisation of preschool provision to remove the inequity in the current model and offer as many children as possible a full-time place from September 2026. That needs to be carefully managed, in line with the state of readiness of our school providers. Many Members have asked about those that have received an increase and about when those that have not will receive one. I can take forward the standardisation process only in line with the resources that are made available to me. I would like to do more.”
“I thank the Member for those kind remarks and for her campaigning on the issue. The draft Budget for 2025-26 includes an allocation of £50 million for the delivery of the childcare and early learning strategy. The Executive need to agree a plan before funding can be released to my Department. Although the £50 million is double what was allocated in the 2024-25 financial year, it is important to say that the previously allocated £25 million was to cover a seven-month period. People can do the maths about what that means. I need to plan for the next 12 months with the £50 million of expenditure, and I will give careful consideration to what is affordable during that period.”
“All of that will help inform us, but part of that strategy has to be about supporting all our children, including those who have additional needs and require that support. Of course, when it comes to special educational needs, we have to make sure that the childcare strategy is representative of everybody's needs in our society.”
“I thank the Member for welcoming the announcement that I have made today about increasing the cap by 10%. We are building on the work that we have done. Work has started on the comprehensive strategy. We have got on with the job of delivering the measures that are now up and running, but there is now work to develop the strategy. However, because of the scheme that we have introduced, we now have data that provides a much clearer picture of the general market, such as the number of providers, the number of childminders in Northern Ireland and how much families are typically spending. We now have much better data as a result of the information that we have got through the schemes that have been introduced.”
“The Early Years organisation will shortly advise providers and parents of the full details of those changes, which will take effect from 1 April 2025. We have made good progress, but there is more to be done, and I am considering what further enhancements may be possible within the allocation that I have secured in the draft Executive Budget.”
“That is £6·5 million that Northern Ireland parents have in their pockets as a direct result of a scheme that we introduced just six months ago. When that is combined with tax-free childcare, it is estimated that those working families will have saved over £14 million since September 2024. <BR /> <BR />I am also pleased to confirm today that the scheme will continue into the next financial year without interruption. I am also aware that many childcare providers are planning to increase their fees over the coming weeks, and, in anticipation of that, I have decided to increase the monthly subsidy cap for the scheme by 10%. Additionally, I will increase the administration payments for participating providers in recognition of their increased operating costs and to ensure that those are not passed on to parents.”
“I intend to bring a comprehensive and ambitious early learning and childcare strategy for Executive consideration and public consultation by autumn this year. While I understand the anticipation around publication of a strategy, it is important to reiterate the tangible progress that has been made over the past year. We have invested more in a range of existing early years programmes and embarked upon a major expansion of the preschool education programme. One of the key initiatives that I have introduced is the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme, which has provided eligible working parents with a 15% reduction in their childcare bills. To date, the scheme has provided over £6·5 million in savings for working families.”
“The Member raises an important point. It is why I published the detailed SEN reform and delivery plan on 4 February. We carried out the detailed work of the end-to-end review, and we have moved towards the implementation of how we are going to address these issues. I have indicated that we need to get to a place where we are providing those services at a much earlier stage through that early identification. We should not have to have recourse to a statement of educational need to get the support in place, and even when you get that, we are still not able to provide the support. The system has not been working, but the detailed plan that I have outlined will allow us to get to a much better place with the appropriate resources being allocated to it.”
“I thank the Member for her question because she highlights the funding that was secured through the transformation board. It will provide some of the funding needed to get things started, but it is only a start. As I indicated in the Assembly, the SEN reform and delivery plan will require additional funding in the region of just over £100 million per year, each year for the next five years. The transformation funding comes to less than £30 million. Yes, it is welcome, but it is only a start for what we actually need to deliver. I will be able to provide more details as to the outworkings of that allocation in due course.”
“The Member raises the important point of AHPs being available. We are working on that not just with the Education Authority but, importantly, with the Department of Health. Those local impact teams are to be stood up and in place later this year. Some are making progress, but we want them all to be up and running. Having AHPs available is important for that. We recognise that we need to have more, and that is why my Department is working with the Department of Health to get a greater pipeline of allied health professionals coming through to support of the work of Education because where you have young people in settings that need additional medical support, we need to have health professionals available to carry out that work.”
“I thank the Member for that question because he knows, as do colleagues in the House, that I published the special educational needs reform agenda and delivery plan on 4 February this year. The reform agenda is about moving the focus to the actions that are needed to ensure that our children and young people with SEN can benefit from greater inclusion and receive the right support from the right people at the right time and, importantly, in the right place. This is the most ambitious programme of SEN reform in a generation, and it will see our children with SEN truly thriving in education. The successful roll-out of the local impact teams will be integral to that.”
“Throughout the year, the setting's special educational needs coordinator will also be able to request involvement from the local team, either in respect of a specific child or young person or in respect of training and guidance. Since January of this year, all such requests can be made via a digital portal, allowing schools to track the progress of the request. <BR /> <BR />In September 2024, the EA removed the need for an educational psychology assessment prior to requesting stage 2 support services, and an enhanced support offer was put in place for settings. The network of local impact teams will be overseen by a single regional management unit, which will be responsible for performance management, quality assurance, service development, administrative management and resource deployment across all the local impact teams.”
“Since 2022, the Education Authority (EA) has been working towards a new model of delivery for its SEN pupil support services. This involves a network of local impact teams in which all the EA SEN specialists can work together to tailor support around the individual needs of the child or young person and their setting. <BR /> <BR />Each local impact team will be responsible for supporting the settings in their immediate geographical area. Each setting will have a direct contact route to a named officer in its local team. At the start of each academic year, each setting will have a strategic planning meeting with its named officer and its named educational psychologist.”
“It delivers access to uniform grants to eligible pupils attending independent schools. It delivers, and I commend the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill to the House.”
“I will work diligently with and support the Committee, but the timing of its conclusion will be for the Assembly and its Members to determine. <BR /> <BR />As you all scrutinise the Bill, I will make some final remarks. I remind Members that there is a clear interlinkage across the clauses, including where definitions are provided, and the balance between how a power is articulated in legal terms in the Bill and what that enables the statutory guidelines to address. Those are important points to think about as Members mull over any amendments that they would wish to make. <BR /> <BR />The School Uniforms Bill delivers. It delivers the necessary powers to make statutory provision through the guidelines and delivers the key principles that were consulted on. It delivers the necessary powers to cap branded items and/or uniform costs.”
“Thank you. I suspected that there would be a good reason because I know that the Chairman of the Committee has an interest in this area, but thank you for putting that on record. I know that he will seek to carry out diligently the important scrutiny work without any undue delay. <BR /> <BR />It is important that we get this right. I do not want to it to be rushed. I very much want to get it right, but I believe that the efficiency of the Assembly, its procedures and the Committee will allow the legislation to be passed before the summer recess. Its introduction and the Second Stage today will facilitate that within the normal time frames of the Assembly. The legislation is now a creature of the Assembly. I have introduced it.”
“<BR /> <BR />We move next to the Committee Stage, subject, of course, to the vote today. I thank Members for their remarks during the debate. The pace at which the legislation will now proceed will be determined by the Members of the Assembly and by the Committee for Education. I have carried out the consultation process. I have brought the legislation through the Executive, secured the appropriate support, commissioned the Office of the Legislative Counsel and introduced the legislation — and I sought to do that at pace. It is now a matter for the Assembly to decide how quickly it wishes to take this forward. <BR /> <BR />The introduction and the Second Stage today will allow the Committee to carry out its work and the subsequent stages to be passed in the Assembly before the summer recess.”