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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“More can and should be done to close the attainment gap and to address the wide range of barriers to learning that many children and young people face. Supporting educational achievement in West Belfast is no different from supporting it in any other area. Our expectations and aspirations should be as high for every pupil, every school and every neighbourhood. A school that is connected to its community is one of the four characteristics of a good school, as set out by my Department in its Every School a Good School policy. <BR /> <BR />West Belfast is an area where community links with schools are well developed. I am committed to delivering better outcomes for all children and young people across our society and to bringing about investment, where possible, to support a more prosperous, harmonious, happier and healthier society.”
“While statutory assessment at Key Stages 1 to 3 was disapplied during the 2019-2020 year, pending a review, creating a dearth of data on how our schools and our system are doing, participation in international studies also reassures us that we continue to perform well compared with other OECD averages and exceptionally well in some areas, such as reading. We need to establish improved measures, however. We want to know about pupils' progress, what their educational journey looks like and what value has been added. For example, are pupils happy? Are they learning? Do they go on to succeed when that journey ends? Are they living happy and healthy lives and contributing to the economy and society in a meaningful way? <BR /> <BR />Educational disadvantage can present in many different ways.”
“Since 2016, the FSCN has worked with schools to support the growing population of children and families from asylum-seeking and refugee backgrounds, with training for entire school communities, as well as dedicated English as an additional language provision for children and families. <BR /> <BR />In addition to the significant targeted funding and programmes that are designed to tackle disadvantage, all schools are supported and challenged, as appropriate, to raise standards and bring about improvement. The Department's school improvement policy set challenging, system-wide targets for attainment at end of Key Stage assessments and in public examinations at GCSE and A level from 2010 to 2020.”
“Examples include partnering with the teaching colleges to deliver workshops on community education programmes, as well as the THRiVE programme in Monkstown and Rathcoole, of which Members will also be aware. <BR /> <BR />West Belfast has also benefited from the Full Service Community Network, which forms part of the fabric of support that is unique to that area. My Department has been able to support the network financially in recent years to deliver programmes that enhance employability, improve the quality of teaching and learning and build collaborative relationships to deliver services for newcomer children and their families. The network has also employed a dedicated Irish-medium support teacher to work directly with children in schools to help support Irish literacy and fluency.”
“Primary support in literacy and numeracy has been provided to over 3,000 Key Stage 2 pupils, with further support through community-based after-school programmes and participation in programmes such as 'The Irish News' Young Readers critical literacy programme. <BR /> <BR />The West Belfast Partnership Board has also worked with practitioners in the area, including Sure Start, community-based providers and schools to develop resources such as progression of play, which is from nursery to year 2; year 7 to year 8 transition resources; and special educational needs transition resources from nursery to primary school. <BR /> <BR />The name "Sharing the Learning" is an apt one. I know that many other voluntary and community groups and schools have benefited from the West Belfast Partnership Board's experience and knowledge.”
“It operates in 24 nursery schools, 19 primary schools, eight post-primary schools and 14 after-school provisions. Its success has been down to the relationships that have been developed over time with and between schools and across all the school sectors and by collaborating effectively with the community and voluntary sector to provide a wide range of support that our children and young people need to succeed. <BR /> <BR />It is a model that should be further explored in other localities facing similar challenges. The range of projects that are supported and their achievements is impressive. Parent-and-child programmes have supported the transition from home to nursery and from nursery to primary school, thereby supporting readiness to learn.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, more can be done. There remains a gap between West Belfast and the Northern Ireland average at GCSE and A level. When we look closer at the data, we can see that the attainment gap between boys and girls is lower in West Belfast than the Northern Ireland average, as is the gap between free-school-meal pupils and non-free-school-meal pupils. The most recent figures, in 2021-22, show that 93·3% of school leavers resident in West Belfast reported going to higher education, further education, employment or training. That is just below the Northern Ireland average of 95·8%. <BR /> <BR />The overarching message should be that significant work has been done to improve educational outcomes in West Belfast, and that needs to continue. The Sharing the Learning programme is one example of the positive work that is being done.”
“<BR /> <BR />We should celebrate the work undertaken in West Belfast by the committed teachers and community workers who have delivered significant outcomes in one of the most deprived areas in Northern Ireland. It is an area where 25 of the super output areas are in the 20% most deprived areas in Northern Ireland, and 19 of those are in the top 10%. Despite that, we can see improvements in the educational outcomes in the area. In 2018-19, 63·7% of school leavers resident in West Belfast achieved at least five GCSEs at A* to C grades or equivalent, including English and maths. Whilst that was below the Northern Ireland average of nearly 71%, it represented an improvement of nearly 12 percentage points since 2012-13. During the same period, the Northern Ireland improvement was 8·5 percentage points.”
“That has come about because of the active representation from elected representatives for the West Belfast constituency in the Assembly and at council level and also by having Ministers from different parties responding to that. A total of £1·5 million has been provided during that period. It is an excellent example of a community partnership delivering bespoke interventions to address local issues. It provides essential support from cradle to career. I hope that that way of working can be used as a model as my Department considers how to implement community-informed solutions to help to raise achievement and reduce educational disadvantage.”
“Indeed, the most recent programme for international student assessment (PISA), published at the end of 2023, evidenced a significant attainment gap here between the least disadvantaged quarter of pupils and the most disadvantaged across mathematics, reading and science, but the gap was not significantly higher in Northern Ireland than the average gap across the OECD countries. <BR /> <BR />I am delighted that my Department has invested in children and young people, families and the community in West Belfast over the past eight years through the West Belfast Partnership Board's Sharing the Learning programme, which has been acknowledged in Members' contributions in the Chamber this evening.”
“It is a new programme of investment in communities and families in the most educationally disadvantaged areas across Northern Ireland. The RAISE programme aims to address a key element of the 'A Fair Start' report by promoting a whole-community approach to education through place-based partnerships. Funding of £20 million is being provided through the Shared Island Fund for a period of two years. It will operate in specific localities across Northern Ireland that have been selected using objective criteria based on data. The RAISE programme offers the opportunity to look afresh at the issues caused by deprivation and to drive forward a whole-community place-based approach to education and the issues that children and young people face. <BR /> <BR />Northern Ireland is not unique in needing to tackle educational disadvantage.”
“Every child has a right to high-quality education in a setting of their parents' or carers' choice, where they can be happy learning and succeeding. I am committed to delivering better outcomes for all children and young people across society, and so are the Members who have contributed to the debate. Where disadvantage exists, we must work collaboratively to address the causes and the consequences. Whilst more can and should be done, we must acknowledge West Belfast as an example of an area where there are strong community partnerships and an ongoing commitment to improving educational outcomes despite the challenges. <BR /> <BR />That is one of the reasons why Belfast has been included in the RAISE programme that I announced last week.”
“At least I have had it confirmed. There was always speculation that Robbie was related to Paul Butler, who is of renown in West Belfast. I would like to get a DNA test done, but we will not go on to 'The Jerry Springer Show'; we will stay here in the Assembly. <BR /> <BR />I am grateful to have the opportunity to respond to some of the issues, and I will pick up on some of the Members' contributions in due course.”
“I thank the Member for West Belfast Mr Sheehan for securing the Adjournment debate. He has managed to keep Mr Butler out of Lagan Valley, and he is depriving me of the same opportunity to be with my colleague, although he is in Lagan Valley.”
“We need to make sure that the right provision is provided by the right people, but, ultimately, what is best for the young people and who is best to deliver it is the important factor in reaching those decisions.”
“I do not have a precise date for when it will be completed. The review has been taken forward partly due to the issues that I have just outlined. We need to support community and voluntary sector youth organisations. They do incredibly important work, and it is important that the systems are supporting them. Concerns have been expressed to me that those organisations feel that the system has not been supporting them in the way that it could, or that they could be delivering services in a way that, perhaps, statutory bodies have not been able to do as effectively.”
“Like the Member, I see the work of the community and voluntary sector in my constituency. Indeed, that is why the new RAISE programme to reduce educational disadvantage — it was part of the announcement last week, but it was not picked up — speaks about a whole-community approach, not just in formal educational settings but in other community organisations and where the voluntary sector is involved. <BR /> <BR />Whether it is in Youth Service provision, which my Department has a responsibility to support, or that new programme, which is going to build upon 'A Fair Start', the community and voluntary sector adds so much value that it is important that it is properly utilised. Where it can do more, it is important that I support it to do so.”
“As we develop the strategy, that is something that I would like to see expanded, not just in schools but in nursery-school and preschool provision. Again, that demonstrates that, even with the difficult financial constraints that we have to operate within, the Executive are prioritising and delivering.”
“The Executive were able to identify £25 million for the early learning childcare strategy. Within that, there is funding that will stabilise Sure Start provision, which provides really important work, before birth and then in the pre-nursery-school years. I want to see how Sure Start and similar organisations can be enhanced. We had 22 temporary Sure Start schemes in addition to the existing permanent schemes. The funding that the Executive provided will allow those 22 temporary programmes to be mainstreamed and put on a permanent footing as part of Sure Start's core work. That will be welcomed in those areas where the temporary schemes and projects were up and running. <BR /> <BR />I would like to do more.”
“The Department is taking a SEN-first approach through its capital and the prioritisation of investment. For every family that is not able to have a child placed in a school, it is a crisis. Often, I speak to parents who are already providing support for a child or a young person who needs additional support and who are already under pressure and stress. Therefore, this year, if those parents are in the position of not knowing where their child will be placed, that is not acceptable. We do have a SEN-first approach, and we are trying to address that issue.”
“We believe that Northern Ireland needs eight new schools, and the Education Authority, at my instruction, is already identifying potential sites for those new schools. It is important that we do that, but it is also important that there is inclusion in our education system, so we need to make sure that we provide support to mainstream schools. That is what we are doing, and we will address the issue this year. I will provide a more detailed statement on that in due course, but I recognise the importance of tackling the issue, which is why I have been tackling the issue.”
“The priority on the capital spend has been for special educational needs provision. Therefore, there will be the funding that is needed to stand up the various specialist provisions so that we can address that. We will do what we need to do to ensure that support is there. That is why I outlined a new stand-alone special educational needs capital programme that is distinct from the other capital programmes in the Department of Education. I announced the immediate commencement of plans at Knockevin Special School and Ardnashee School and College because I recognise the need that is there. <BR /> <BR />We are also looking at all 39 special schools and identifying their capacity needs. Where we can take forward school enhancement programmes, we will do so.”
“I intend to update the House more formally when we have a much clearer picture, but I can say to the Member that that figure of 1,000 has been reduced by several hundred. I want to ensure that, by September, every child has a place. Then, we need to ensure that the situation is not repeated in future years. It happened last year and is happening this year. We need to ensure that we provide proper support for children with special educational needs.”
“I recognise, as all Members do, that that issue requires a resolution. When I first came into office again, the indications were that some 1,000 children needed to be placed in September. That led to action on my part to communicate to schools directly and seek indications that they would be willing to provide a place for this September. Of the more than 700 schools that responded, over 300 responded positively. We then carried out a short survey on the needs of those schools, identifying where specific pressures were across Northern Ireland and trying to ensure that it was about not just any school but the right school. It has to be the right place for children. <BR /> <BR />We are continuing to provide placements, so progress has been made. We continue to make progress.”
“I am not sure of the exact, precise reasons why that has not been provided. It may be an entirely internal-facing document. That could be the reason. I do not know the reason for that, but I will certainly provide a written response to the Member.”
“I do not have that particular detail to hand for the Member, but I am happy to provide more detail. Suffice it to say, he raises the important issue around 14- to 19-year-olds. There is collaboration between my Department and the Minister for the Economy. I met the Minister a number of weeks ago on the framework in which the two Departments operate. We will review that framework to ensure that we are collaborating effectively on schools and colleges.”
“Before my first child was born, I read to my wife. Hopefully, Annie picked up some of it before she came into this world. The importance of reading cannot be overstated, because it has a hugely beneficial impact on children's development. I will therefore reinstate that important programme. Northern Ireland is the only part of the United Kingdom where the Bookstart Baby programme is not currently available. I am determined to address that inequality. I have asked BookTrust to submit a proposal to extend that important provision to Northern Ireland this year. The funding that was made available by the Executive to support the early learning and childcare strategy will enable us to put in place that vital provision for the youngest children.”
“Yes. I agree about the importance of reading to young children and encouraging their enjoyment of books. We know from the evidence around children's early learning and development that that has a positive impact on their language, communication and social skills.”
“I want to provide opportunities for career progression for classroom assistants, so that they can see how there are further opportunities in investing in our education system. We have made progress. Schools are not on strike. We continue to negotiate on the issue, and I believe that there is a pathway forward that will resolve it permanently.”
“When it comes to taking decisions on this issue, we, as an Executive, have stepped up. I know that the Member sometimes does not feel that that is the case, but there are occasions when he could recognise that Ministers are genuinely, sincerely and in earnest trying to resolve issues. When the institutions were restored, the funding package provided to Stormont did not include a resolution to this issue. That was not as a consequence of any Member in the Assembly. We had to work for a resolution. We are trying to resolve this issue. I believe that we are on our way to resolving the issue around the pay and grading review. <BR /> <BR />Recruitment and retention in that area is hugely important. We need to ensure that we provide the right support for those individuals, who are vital. I want to do more.”
“I have tried to identify how, in the absence of the Treasury providing the re-profiling of future funding, we can take the issue forward through some funding in the June monitoring round. Those negotiations have been taking place with me directly and with my officials. <BR /> <BR />I am pleased that we did not have strike action today. I trust that we will not have strike action tomorrow. We want a resolution. This is an Executive. I, as Minister, and the Finance Minister, who supports me, both agree that we need to find a resolution to the issue. We believe that there is now a pathway to do that. The unions are engaging with the relevant officials, and they should be given the space to get the issue concluded. I hope that we can expedite that as soon as possible.”
“I provided the House with an update on this issue in response to an earlier question. When I came into post, I recognised the work that our support staff carry out. I deeply value that work. I approved the business case and put it to the Finance Minister, and the Finance Minister approved the business case. The Executive agreed, within the Budget that we passed, that we need to find a way forward. That way forward was to engage with the Treasury. The Finance Minister, on behalf of the Executive, met the Chief Secretary to the Treasury and put that formally in writing. Obviously, an election has been called, which creates an issue in respect of His Majesty's Treasury responding.”
“Routes and pickup points are often well-established as serving local communities around specific schools. Parents may choose which school their child attends, but where an eligible pupil bypasses closer schools to attend one further away, there may be fewer or less convenient transport options. The Education Authority is not obliged to create new routes for small numbers or individual pupils.”
“My Department is responsible for the home-to-school transport policy, and the Education Authority is responsible for its operation and delivery. That includes route planning and determining eligibility for transport assistance in line with the policy. The EA determines its bus routes on the basis of public demand in the area, and routes are reviewed on an ongoing basis, particularly at the start of the school year. Eligibility is assessed on an individual pupil basis using two criteria, namely distance and suitable school. It is for the EA to determine the most suitable mode of transport for eligible pupils, which may include a seat on an EA bus, a Translink bus pass or a parental payment, where a seat on a vehicle cannot be provided.”
“That is a new capital programme that I have announced, and we have given funding to it this year. We will want to stand that up and get applications to it, but, over the next number of years, I want to build on that to make it a bigger programme. That is why I continue to make the case unapologetically or my Department to get more funding not only for its recurrent resource side but for capital expenditure.”
“The Member, who is Chair of the Education Committee, highlights forest schools. I have been impressed by the number of schools that I have visited that have been able to incorporate some of the trees and vegetation that are in their estate. Children and young people love to be outside. They love to pick up all the bugs, beetles and different things, and they value how to protect them. <BR /> <BR />Forest schools are a good initiative, but it speaks to the issue of outdoor play. In my announcement last week about the capital programme, I announced a new curriculum-led capital programme. We have allocated £10 million to that. That is largely to focus on things around outdoor play and physical education. Where a school is not able to properly deliver its curriculum, how can we support it?”
“The Member rightly makes the point about the time that it takes for projects to go through the various stages until they are at the point of being able to move into that tender/construction phase. It is a frustration that I share and one that the principal of Carrick Primary School — the Member had me at that school — and other principals have articulated to me. Obviously, we need to look at the processes and at how we can make going through the various stages more efficient and expediting that. Officials in my Department are looking at that work with the Education Authority, and it is ultimately for the Education Authority to plan out the school estate, particularly for controlled schools, and to make sure that the support is there. I need to support the Education Authority in discharging its responsibilities effectively for our schools.”
“Whilst the additional funding is extremely positive and welcome, the Department continues to face significant capital pressures, particularly for special educational needs (SEN) placements. Therefore, difficult decisions will continue to be required on prioritisation. <BR /> <BR />My vision is that every child is educated in a high-quality learning environment, and the school enhancement programme is key to delivering on that by providing significant improvements to a school's teaching and learning facilities. It is a high-impact and relatively low-cost programme that can make a lasting improvement to a school. I will continue to make the case for increased investment in the education estate to ensure that every child can enjoy the benefits of improved teaching and learning facilities.”
“The Executive Budget provides the Department with a capital budget of £254 million for 2024-25, which is an increase of over £80 million on last year’s opening position. That additional funding has allowed me to release seven school enhancement programmes in addition to the major new capital bids that were announced. The school enhancement programmes include Carniny Primary School, Kilronan School, Lurgan Model Integrated Primary School, St John’s Primary School in Kingsisland, St Kevin’s College, St Malachy’s College and St Mary’s Primary School in Barr. <BR /> <BR />Budget is available to progress all other school enhancement projects through design and planning to the pre-tender stage. A decision to release those to tender and construction will then be taken, depending on budget availability at the time.”
“It had stood still for nearly a decade with no increase, until my predecessor, Michelle McIlveen, addressed the issue. I have indicated my desire to do more, but it requires the Department of Education to have the resources available to it for us to do more.”
“On comparators, in England, many local authorities do not offer uniform grants, and, for those that do, there can be considerable variation in the level of support. It can vary from £30 to £160. In Scotland, there is a minimum level uniform grant of £120 per child at primary school and £150 per child at post-primary level. Wales has a school essentials grant that is aimed towards supporting parents with uniform costs but also costs for sports kits and IT equipment. That is £125 per pupil or £200 for pupils in post-primary. <BR /> <BR />A range of support measures exists. There is no uniform approach — pardon the pun — in how the costs are calculated and what the payments go towards. We have our own scheme. It was a DUP Education Minister who increased it by 20%.”
“How you do that and what the sanction would be are things that need to be worked out as part of the consultation process and then the legislative process, when the Bill is introduced to the Assembly.”
“Obviously, I will not be able to have the guidance placed on a statutory footing for this September. Many schools have already engaged with retailers and the supply chain. We will not, therefore, be able to do that. However, I was able to remind schools to follow the guidance, and the overwhelming majority are doing that. I want to have it on a statutory footing for the commencement of the following academic year, so that there is a statutory basis for it. Of course, we need to work out how to monitor that and what role, potentially, the inspectorate could have in ensuring that the legislation passed by the House is given effect. It is one thing to place something on a statutory footing; it is another thing to monitor and, ultimately, enforce that.”
“The Member rightly raises my desire to address the issue. On the matter of placing the current guidance on a statutory footing, I have engaged with schools through letters to principals reminding them of the circular and appealing to them to follow it. The overwhelming majority of schools follow that guidance, but we need all schools to follow it. A public consultation will be launched within weeks, before the end of this period of the Assembly's timetable — before it breaks for the recess. That will seek the public's views on placing it on a statutory footing. As part of that, we will also seek views on a cost cap.”
“However, that can only be done when the funding is available to do so. While recognising that the rate of the uniform grant is one way to reduce the impact of uniform costs on low-income families, I believe that schools seeking to minimise the costs of their uniform can potentially be of even greater benefit. Schools should therefore endeavour to align their school uniform requirements with the Department's guidance circular that encourages them to keep school uniform costs to a minimum.”
“The school uniform grant is available to offer financial support to low-income families as a contribution towards the costs of school uniforms. The Education Authority was able to uplift its school uniform grant rate by 20% in 2022-23 following an additional allocation of funding by the previous Minister of Education. Severe budgetary pressures mean that it has not been possible to allocate additional funding to the Education Authority to implement a further rise in the rate of the uniform grant for the 2024-25 academic year. <BR /> <BR />I recognise that higher rates of uniform grant are available in other parts of the United Kingdom. I would obviously like to be able to allocate additional funding to the Education Authority that would enable a rise in the uniform grant.”
“Where we can have research to provide better-informed practices, we will do that to help inform how we address those issues.”
“It is about actions and further research to make sure that, where the actions that we are taking can be improved, they are improved. It is not an either/or. We are doing far more than just doing research on the issue. I outlined the measures and the impacts that we have already had in trying to support schools. <BR /> <BR />The Member raises an important issue about online social media abuse. Children, in particular, given their sensitive age, are much more vulnerable to that than adults, and it can be devastating for adults as well. It is vital that we support schools as they manage the issues around online communication and social media posts. All of that can be difficult to do. What I can do to support schools I will do.”
“The Department will collect data from other jurisdictions and further research will be carried out on the issue. Where we identify alternative methods that we are not already using to address the issues, we will learn from them. Data on bullying experiences among children and young people has been gathered by Governments in England, Wales and Scotland through a range of health, well-being and crime surveys. However, our understanding is that data on bullying-type behaviour is an issue just to disseminate. <BR /> <BR />The answer is yes. We will carry out further research to identify other international approaches to managing the problem.”
“All forms of bullying are wrong. Bullying in respect of one's sexual orientation is wrong. It is important that schools address that issue alongside other forms of bullying that take place. Of course, my Department will continue, with the Education Authority, to support schools when it comes to addressing bullying behaviour, which is unacceptable in our school system.”