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 />I also want to make sure that we utilise the resources that we have as effectively as possible. That is why I have spoken about the need to ensure that schools get the flexibility to deploy resources in a way that, the evidence shows, is impactful. Some schools have not been able to recruit classroom assistants, but principals have also said that they can recruit a full-time teacher and deliver lessons in a smaller class setting. That is having a positive impact, and there are good examples of schools that have moved significantly towards that model. Today's statement affirms that approach and states that it is the way in which we need to take things forward across Northern Ireland.”
“I thank the Member for his comments and his questions. I spoke about the need for significant investment to allow the transformation to take place. It is incredibly challenging, if not impossible, to do it within my Department's resources. That is why we submitted a bid to the Northern Ireland Civil Service transformation board for funding, and that is one of the projects that is waiting for a decision. Unashamedly, I say clearly that I need that to be approved because it will allow us to take forward the work. We await a decision, and I outlined the steps that we could take as part of the work, should we get a response in the affirmative. If we do not get a response in the affirmative, Members will need to ask serious questions as to why, because that will restrict my ability to take forward the transformation that needs to happen.”
“We have taken that forward as part of the capital programme, but there is also the operational plan that the Education Authority will soon publish, which is the plan for how you area-plan the education provision needs in your community and across Northern Ireland. Within that, I have asked for — it will be included — a SEN-first approach. The provision and planning for meeting special educational needs has to be given priority, and that will be reflected in the document that will be published. <BR /> <BR />We are working on the capital needs of the entire school estate, we are working to make the process by which we assess people much better so that we respond with the right support, and we are ensuring that people are placed in the right setting.”
“I thank the Member for the question. Yes, I share the concerns that he has just articulated. We have had to create those 1,450 places, but I want to make sure that children, when they are placed, receive the appropriate place. It is not just about getting any place. That is what we are trying to do in the processes that we are taking forward. <BR /> <BR />On access to specialist schools, the Member is right. That is why I announced that every specialist school in Northern Ireland had been reviewed by the Education Authority to identify the ability to enhance that capacity, so that we can put in place investment, where we can, and meet the needs in those localities by increasing the spaces available in special schools.”
“There are a number of areas that we are taking forward to provide that professional development and the learning that can do that. That is something that we will do with our initial teaching educationalists, but, again, it is also part of the collaboration with the Department of Health. We will take that work forward, in terms of professional learning, and address some of the issues that the Member has raised.”
“I thank the Member for the question. The statement outlines the importance of having the right support for people. It talks about the importance of ensuring that educational professionals get access to that training. It speaks to how we will work with the initial teacher education settings so that there is that support. I want to see investment in classroom assistants to empower them to provide the support that children require.”
“There will be a more streamlined approach to referrals, which will allow schools to have easier access to support. We will move towards the creation of local impact teams this year, but that is, of course, dependent on us being able to resource them. We will seek to build on that, which will make a positive impact on children who require that support.”
“I thank the Member for the question, which builds on some of the issues that we have already touched on. That speaks to the issue of providing wide support for children who have additional needs. Whether it relates to speech and language or communication or behavioural issues, that support needs to be provided so that children can have their education in mainstream settings but also in specialist schools. <BR /> <BR />Work has been done in moving to what were called local integrated teams but will now be called local impact teams. The very name speaks to what we are trying to do, which is to make an impact. That will ensure that services are integrated and consider a child's holistic support needs, so that the system is more agile in providing the support that is needed.”
“Nick Mathison, Chairman of the Education Committee, has engaged on the issue with me outside the Committee and highlighted the need, particularly in special schools, for collaboration between health professionals and educational settings. The Chief Nursing Officer has commissioned a piece of work on that, which is ongoing, and a joint oversight group between Education and Health is looking at the kind of provision that is needed in special schools. However, the impact teams go further than that. They will support the needs that exist for children, with or without statements of special educational need, in all schools.”
“I thank the Member for his comments and question. He is right to highlight the multidisciplinary teams — the local impact teams — that will be taken forward. That is very much about making sure that we support those children and young people with their additional needs in speech and language and other aspects associated with allied health professionals. <BR /> <BR />There has been engagement between my Department and the Department of Health in that respect. It is very much part of the detailed implementation plan. Additional resource and recruitment and an increase in the number of people who are trained will be required to meet that need. That work has been done in collaboration between the two Departments. I have met the Minister of Health.”
“It is important, however, that, after I have taken decisions as the Minister around those areas, those stakeholders get the opportunity to finesse the delivery plan in that context. We will then move to implementation, and we are already moving forward. Those detailed plans will be published, and I look forward to the Education Committee being able to scrutinise that work.”
“I thank the Chairman for his question on behalf of his Committee. This is very much the outworkings now of a process of nearly 18 months, in which we have gone through those 200 recommendations and analysed them as part of the end-to-end review. I have now outlined where we are going and some immediate steps that we are taking. It is important that people reflect on some of what I have said today. That allows people to have some of that discussion. As a result of my announcements today, we will need to finalise that delivery plan, but I can assure the Chairman that that delivery plan is at the point of finalisation. I said in the statement that it would arrive in the coming weeks, and we will be able to publish the detailed delivery plan in the coming weeks.”
“I thank the Member for her positive response to the statement. The statement does speak to the issues around transitioning and the importance of the pathways and working with the Department of Health and the Department for the Economy. The statement is very much about ensuring that there is the best support for people who are moving from education into the post-education environment. That is very much part of the work that we will be taking forward in the transformation of special educational needs provision. I hope that those who have campaigned will recognise the efforts that are being made to ensure that we support them and their young people as they go through the process of transitioning from education.”
“In that context, I am pleased to be able to advise Members that, reflecting the priority that I have placed on this issue, the chief executive of the Education Authority has confirmed that he will be restructuring the organisation in order to bring a renewed and specific focus on SEN reform at the most senior level. <BR /> <BR />I hope today that I have provided Members with an outline of the scale of the reform that is needed. Transformation will take time, and it will require investment. I am committed to driving this agenda during this mandate, to working with ministerial colleagues, who have an important part to play, and to ensuring that our children and young people with special educational needs receive the support that they deserve. I commend the statement to the House.”
“The EA will implement its graduated response framework and its new local impact teams model for pupil support services. The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) has been commissioned to evaluate specialist education provision, including early years foundation stage provision. <BR /> <BR />I will publish my SEN reform agenda and delivery plan in the coming weeks. The plan has been developed with input from parents, practitioners and academics, and that engagement will continue as we move to implementation. My Department will also be engaging with key delivery partners around early actions, and I have asked the Education Authority to prioritise its areas of responsibility within the delivery plan.”
“Whist additional investment is essential to generate momentum in that transformation effort, we must also do better with the resources that we have. In the longer term, I will look to reconfigure funding as services are remodelled in order to ensure that all investment is impactful and as close to the child as possible. <BR /> <BR />Change cannot wait. Some actions are already under way or due to begin imminently. The streamlining of the assessment and SEN placement processes will commence. Operational plan 2, with a SEN-first approach, will shortly be published. Preschool education settings will receive additional resource for children undergoing statutory assessment. That commenced in November last year, at an estimated cost of £1·2 million in this financial year.”
“Dependent on the success of that bid, work will commence on the following areas this year: transformation of the support model for children with statements; development of a pilot early childhood SEN intervention programme; development of a speech and language and communications intervention programme that will target 10,000 children over the next three academic years; development of inclusive play environments that will provide in-school support; testing of an enhanced nurture programme model over three years; development of a model of special schools as resource centres of expertise; and design and trial of an inclusive capacity-building programme, including a teacher and classroom assistant professional learning programme.”
“For school-leavers with SEN, my Department will continue to work with Health and Economy to develop appropriate pathways into adulthood. <BR /> <BR />SEN transformation is an investment not only for education but for our society. Delivering on the agenda will require sustained funding. I will continue to make the case to the Executive for appropriate investment in our education system and, in particular, to drive the reforms that, I know, are necessary to effect real change. My Department awaits the outcome of a bid to the Northern Ireland Civil Service transformation fund that would provide a much-needed injection of initial investment.”
“While much progress has been made on building in additional capacity across the system, there are continued pressures, particularly in some areas. I cannot emphasise enough the importance of schools engaging closely with the EA to identify and bring forward solutions. <BR /> <BR />For children with SEN moving into or out of education or transitioning to different provision, my reform agenda will, first, implement a transitional support programme at various stages of each child or young person's educational journey; secondly, introduce agreed data-sharing arrangements between health services, my Department and the Department for the Economy; and, thirdly, introduce a child development passport to include progress on milestones, interventions and a learning profile.”
“<BR /> <BR />As a consequence of the reform agenda, I will also do the following: require the Education Authority to prioritise special education in its operational plan 2 and take a SEN-first approach to future planning; work towards ensuring that there is enough flex in the system so that no child remains without an appropriate place; streamline EA assessment and the review process to inform placements; formalise information sharing with Health and Economy to aid planning to support children's educational journeys; and, finally, scope a suitable education offer for the development of post-16 specialist provision in mainstream schools. Work will continue and intensify in preparation for placements in September this year. However, we need to be clear on the challenges that lie ahead.”
“School placements for children with SEN have been the subject of much debate in the Assembly. I acknowledge the efforts of the Education Authority, which, supported by my Department, has created 1,450 new special provision places this year to meet the ever-increasing demand. In April last year, I announced the SEN capital investment programme to enhance capacity across the system in order to support the placements of children with SEN. To date in this financial year, I have invested £51 million in the SEN capital programme and £58 million of resource for additional specialist provision in mainstream classes.”
“That should not be viewed as a means of reducing the number of classroom assistants but as focusing on a more effective deployment that develops their expertise and more effectively meets the needs of children.”
“I will do that through the following: ensuring that school leaders are given flexibility to determine the support required to meet children's needs and to deploy different models of support; empowering classroom assistants through high-quality and evidence-based professional learning; developing interventions that harness emerging technologies and ensuring that classroom assistants are trained in their use to meet children's needs; bringing forward a framework of whole-school support models that are based on evidence and good practice; and drawing on the learning from schools that already deploy different approaches.”
“For the minority of children for whom a statement of SEN is required and their families, it is essential that the process is streamlined, efficient and easier to navigate. The EA is already leading the way on that aspect of reform through its digitisation of the assessment process. <BR /> <BR />As I have indicated, the existing system of support is simply not working. The reform agenda will seek to fundamentally change the model of support for children with a statement of special educational need by building on what we have learned from the settings that provide support in different ways.”
“We now know from research and emerging evidence that one-to-one classroom assistant support is not always the most effective intervention for children. While one-to-one support is necessary for some children, there is no one-size-fits-all approach, and we must be more responsive to children's needs and be guided by best practice and evidence. Securing the confidence of parents and teachers will be crucial to making that transition. My hope is that, with enhanced in-school support and an expert, responsive Education Authority and other support services, there will be increased confidence in the system to effectively meet the needs of children and young people without, in all cases, recourse to a statement.”
“<BR /> <BR />Under the existing model, parents and, indeed, many schools see a statement of special educational need as the best way of securing support for a child. Aligned to that, we also know that many view one-to-one classroom assistant support as the gold standard intervention. Evidence from emerging practice here and elsewhere points to the effectiveness of a more nuanced approach, where schools have greater flexibility to deploy a range of professional support models in the classroom, including harnessing the opportunities of technology. Currently, many parents and schools do not have access to information on the wider range of possibilities for their children, and that must change.”
“In addition, my reform agenda will seek to expand that multidisciplinary approach to include health professionals; ensure that support services are high-quality, evidence-based and delivered by those with expertise and experience; introduce performance measures to ensure that we measure how all services deliver better outcomes for children; develop, where appropriate, bespoke services to support children in Irish-medium education; and harness the expertise in our special schools and develop their role to support inclusion across the wider school system. I will enhance the role of the Middletown Centre for Autism and expand its reach in developing neuro-affirming practice across the system and partner with the voluntary and community sector to enhance and expand delivery for children with SEN.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, in some instances, schools may need access to specialist support services where a child needs support beyond what the school can offer. The Education Authority (EA) has commenced its phased implementation towards a new delivery model this year. That will see support services move towards a model through which holistic support will be provided on the basis of the needs of the child through local impact teams. The educational psychology gateway has already been removed, and a Tell Us Once approach is being implemented. The sensory service will remain as a stand-alone service due to its very specialist nature.”
“In the early years, I will do that by establishing a bespoke regional programme for two- to three-year-olds that will include support for parents and families; providing resource and trialling the introduction of SEN classroom assistants in preschool education settings; and piloting an early education and intervention centre approach for children who are aged between three and six. For school-age children, I will do that by piloting the introduction of a professional support programme in schools; expanding nurture and other evidence-based therapeutic preventative approaches; and developing understanding of inclusive learning environments and approaches, including supporting learners with SEN in accessing the curriculum.”
“I will do that by investing in teachers, early years practitioners and non-teaching staff through the development of a continuous professional development framework for SEN; by working with our initial teacher education providers to develop a strategic framework for SEN in initial teacher education informed by evidence on what works; and by improving career pathways for practitioners and support staff. <BR /> <BR />We know that early intervention works. The early identification of need and timely intervention in response must be in place throughout a child's educational journey from the early years and on an ongoing basis through primary and post-primary education.”
“As an early action, I will bring forward an outcomes framework that will include clear and positive ambitions for our children with SEN and set out how we will measure our progress towards meeting those. Building a strong and confident workforce is central to my reform agenda, recognising that it is our workforce who can often be the first to identify a need and are in the best position to respond early. To do all of those things, our workforce must be supported and valued.”
“All of that is set in the context of my Department's ongoing work to develop a longer-term vision and plan for inclusive education that meets our Northern Ireland context. <BR /> <BR />In October 2024, I set out my vision for a high-quality, efficient and sustainable system of education that provides choice, is inclusive and encourages collaboration. Children with SEN deserve to benefit from a world-leading education system that is delivered on the basis of evidence on what works. The reform agenda will, for the first time, articulate clear, measurable outcomes for our children with SEN, their parents or carers and our education workforce and set expectations for the services that are delivered to support them.”
“<BR /> <BR />The reform agenda represents the Department's response to more than 200 recommendations that were made across a range of scrutiny reports and signals my intent in leading the transformation that is required. The five-year plan accompanying the reform agenda sets out the actions that will be taken to provide our children and young people with the right support from the right people at the right time and in the right place. Those four pillars, drawn from the SEN end-to-end review analysis, focus on identifying and responding to needs early; providing the highest quality in school support; building the confidence and capability of the workforce; and ensuring that children thrive in high-quality learning environments.”
“My personal commitment to the reform agenda is without question, but I must have support from my ministerial colleagues to successfully deliver the scale of ambition that is required. The need for true collaboration has never been greater. Many of our children's needs require support from beyond Education, so we must harness the expertise and resources that reside across Departments, local government and the voluntary and community sector to ensure that needs are picked up and addressed early; that young people leaving school have access to meaningful, well-supported pathways; and that our children with the most complex needs are supported to learn.”
“In 2022-23, 10% of young people with SEN had no GCSEs or formal qualifications, compared with 1·6% of students without SEN, and only 14% of school-leavers with SEN went on to higher education, compared with 41·5% of their peers without SEN. That is despite expenditure in SEN increasing by 145% since 2017-18, forecast to rise to an estimated £622 million in this financial year. We are spending money on an approach that is simply not working. Imagine the impact that we might achieve for our children if that money were spent differently and on approaches that are highly effective and evidence-based. <BR /> <BR />The need for change is clear, and the scale of the challenge is significant. We have a job of work to do that requires commitment, investment and collaboration. SEN transformation is a key priority for the Executive.”
“Delays in securing school placements; inadequate, insufficient and late support; an outdated schools estate; and school leaders struggling to meet the needs of their pupils are just some of the issues that need to be addressed. We need to rebuild the confidence of children, parents, families and our education workforce. Today is an important milestone in doing that. <BR /> <BR />I want to be clear that the key driver of reform is my unstinting commitment to better meeting the needs of children with SEN. The reality is that our current approach does not work. The limited outcome measures that we have show that we are not doing well for our children with SEN, and that needs to change.”
“One in five pupils in our education system currently has a special educational need. Some 8% of pupils across the school population have a statement of SEN, in contrast to other parts of the United Kingdom, which average around 5%. Some 11,000 of our children are now in specialist education provision, an increase of 45% in the last seven years. The Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency (NISRA) projects that those figures will increase to over 16,000 by 2031-32. That picture is not unique to Northern Ireland. The challenge is how we respond and ensure that our system meets the needs of an increasing proportion of children in our school population. <BR /> <BR />The need for reform is clear. Since taking up the role of Education Minister, I have spoken to many parents, families and teachers who are frustrated by the current system.”
“Today I set out my vision for the most ambitious programme of special educational needs (SEN) reform in a generation, which will see our children and young people with special educational needs truly thriving in education. <BR /> <BR />The challenges around special educational needs provision are well documented and have rightly been the focus of many debates in the Assembly and across society. Today is about moving beyond the commentary to focus on the actions that are needed to ensure that our children and young people with SEN benefit from greater inclusion and receive the right support from the right people at the right time and in the right place. <BR /> <BR />The context in which I bring forward the programme of reform is vastly different from the one in which our existing system was developed.”
“He is nearly in danger of convincing me to vote for this. On the arguments that he has made against the EU based on its support for Israel, we know what People Before Profit stands for. It is against globalisation and all these elitist corporates that rule the world. On that basis, will Gerry Carroll join the DUP in voting against the motion, or will he now go and vote for those globalists?”
“The Assembly should not casually dispense with the powers that have been given to us by the people who sent us here. Articles 5 to 10 of the Northern Ireland protocol have given rise to significant concerns, impacting on the economic, political and constitutional relationship of Northern Ireland with the rest of the United Kingdom. They create unnecessary divisions. They hamper trade and undermine democratic accountability, creating serious challenges for our economy, our sovereignty and our political stability. We must instead seek a solution that preserves the economic integrity of Northern Ireland within the United Kingdom. We will continue to work to that end. I therefore must oppose the motion.”
“The benefits of Northern Ireland's remaining fully within the United Kingdom are clear and undeniable. We have access to economic prosperity, political stability and global influence. Our future is brighter as part of the UK. We must continue to embrace the Union with pride and determination. We in the Democratic Unionist Party remain committed to our manifesto commitment to argue the case for the full primacy of the United Kingdom internal market and to continue to reject the undermining of its integrity. However, we do so without jeopardising wider support for the Union or these institutions in a way that has already paid and continues to pay real dividends. <BR /> <BR />I, like all democrats, believe that we who make laws should be accountable to those who elect us.”
“<BR /> <BR />In all likelihood, because the Government have rewritten the rules of the game, I will not be on the winning side today, but, in whatever role I have in the Chamber or elsewhere, I will do all that is in my power to ensure that the benefits of Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom are enjoyed. I make no apology for echoing the sentiments of perhaps the greatest of all unionist leaders, Sir Edward Carson, who said:”
“In the past, we have proven that progress is possible, and we can do so again. Our future lies in our own hands not just through the vote on the democratic consent motion, which will be repeated in four years' time, but through support for the Union. I continue to believe that devolution can and will deliver for the people of Northern Ireland. That is why I oppose handing over powers in a wide range of areas to those who are not accountable to a single citizen of Northern Ireland. However, we must not retreat into a narrower vision of unionism where an unobtainable purity of idea is elevated over wider community support.”
“I am confident that further progress is possible not through articles in newspapers or interviews in the media but through hard work. That is where, inch by inch, the only progress that has been made is being made.”
“Stefaan De Rynck, a close aide to Michel Barnier during the negotiations, correctly identified that, during the negotiations, the UK played a game of chicken with itself, due to its erroneous assessment of the negotiations. His bluff did not end well for Northern Ireland or the Union. Those who now threaten political stability in Northern Ireland are inviting unionists to repeat that failed strategy. <BR /> <BR />This is a sad day for democracy and for the economic integrity of this great United Kingdom. There is no point in hiding or disguising that fact. However, it must not become a counsel of despair; we must not talk ourselves into a downward spiral and make an already difficult situation worse. Real progress has been made since the Northern Ireland protocol was published.”
“That too often characterises the approach of those who point out the problems but have no credible way in which to resolve them. We must not risk the broad support that exists for Northern Ireland's place in the Union on tactics that are doomed to fail. <BR /> <BR />History has taught us lessons that we would do well to remember. The events at Thornton Manor Country Estate on the Wirral in October 2019, where Boris Johnson cut a deal to, effectively, leave Northern Ireland behind, were a crucial moment in the process. We now know what many suspected at the time: Boris Johnson was never serious about a no-deal Brexit. He admitted in his memoirs that that was a bluff. That the EU had assumed as much holed his strategy below the waterline.”
“The idea that the Labour Government would provoke a confrontation with the EU to deliver a form of Brexit that is cleaner and purer than that delivered by Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak is not one that could be sustained in any serious discussion. We must choose between the alternatives that are realistically available to us, not fantasy options that have no prospect of success and would lead us down a constitutional cul-de-sac. <BR /> <BR />We must not be fooled by the simple solutions that some suggest. I read in this morning's 'News Letter' a lengthy and thoughtful piece from my friend Dan Boucher. Unfortunately, although there is much to agree with in his article, it is long on analysis and history but short on solutions.”
“That is the fundamental weakness in the argument of those who would burn this House down, with no credible path to rebuilding support for the Union. <BR /> <BR />There are those who believe that, if the Executive had not been reestablished, we would have the leverage to deliver a better result now. That is a delusion. Leverage is not a constant; it is dictated and affected by circumstances. Those circumstances were favourable in the autumn of 2021 and the early part of 2022. They are not so today. The leverage that we created in 2021, which was in a different political environment, allowed progress to be made, but that leverage has delivered all that is possible.”
“To those of us who oppose the present arrangements, that should represent a challenge and an opportunity. However, I have one message for unionists who oppose the present arrangements: we must not make a difficult situation worse. We must think and act rationally and strategically. <BR /> <BR />Those of us who believe in the Union and the integrity of the United Kingdom oppose the motion because we believe that it undermines the economic and constitutional fabric of our country. That will not be remedied through damaging the democratic institutions in Northern Ireland. Put simply, alternative options offer neither a prospect of removing the Windsor framework nor any strategy for a better future for Northern Ireland.”
“I cannot guarantee what progress the promised review will make, but I note that real and tangible progress has been made since the Northern Ireland protocol was negotiated in 2019. However we measure or describe the progress that has been made, there can be no serious doubt that the Windsor framework and then 'Safeguarding the Union' represent real progress since the Northern Ireland protocol. Assuming that the motion is agreed today, there will be a further consent vote in four years' time. That means that there will be an Assembly election before MLAs will be asked to vote again. That is an opportunity for those of us who oppose the arrangements to take our case to the country on the basis of the experience of the operation of the new arrangements.”