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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“We need to make sure that, where there is best practice, we disseminate it. That is something that, of course, we will want to do and facilitate. I have outlined how we have been making efforts to address those issues. Often, schools are best placed, with the right kind of support, which needs to be consistent across Northern Ireland, to resolve those issues. However, where we can identify best practice, it is important that we disseminate that information.”
“Between September 2022 and March 2024, ABSIT responded to 577 referrals relating to bullying-type behaviour. The team has provided specific support to schools with regard to 185 significant bullying-type cases and delivered training to 147 school leadership teams and bespoke training to 110 school governors. Since its launch in January 2024, level 1 foundation training on the Act has been completed by 3,848 educationalists.”
“Concerns were raised during the public consultation on the legislative proposals that led to the Act that any such data that was held by the Department of Education or the Education Authority would be subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and therefore could potentially allow external organisations to create bullying league tables. The then Education Minister subsequently stated that there were no plans to collect or publish any information in relation to bullying incidents. The Department has therefore not directly collated data from schools in relation to bullying incidents. <BR /> <BR />Following initial information and training offers, the Department established the addressing bullying in schools implementation team (ABSIT) in September 2022. The data is held by ABSIT within EA in its response to referrals.”
“Mr Speaker, with your permission, I will answer questions 3 and 6 together. <BR /> <BR />The Addressing Bullying in Schools Act 2016 came into operation on 1 September 2021. The Act has three core parts: it provides a common definition of "bullying"; establishes a new duty for schools to record all incidents of bullying, including their motivation and outcome; and requires boards of governors to take responsibility for the development, implementation, monitoring and periodic review of their schools' anti-bullying policies.”
“I am pleased that we were able to step in and take that forward.”
“The capital builds announcement last week was positive. It demonstrates that the Executive can work together, even with the difficult financial constraints within which we operate. Eight new school builds — seven primary and one post-primary — were announced, of which Millennium Integrated Primary School was one. That allows us to move to securing a tendering process, which will lead to contract. Millennium Integrated Primary School is at a very advanced stage. There is no further obstacle in our moving forward to construction. I cannot give the Member the precise date on which a digger will arrive on site, but we are taking that forward. <BR /> <BR />I know that that announcement was particularly welcomed by those schools. Millennium Integrated Primary School was one that was unfairly caught in the Treasury process around Fresh Start.”
“It is vital that the pay and grading dispute is resolved and that we engage with Treasury, but also look to our own resources in the Assembly, to find a way forward. I will continue to work constructively with the unions until we get to a permanent solution.”
“Everyone in the House will agree that for those young people who have worked so hard not to have the opportunity to sit that exam would have been unacceptable. I am therefore pleased that we did not have strike action today. <BR /> <BR />I can update the House further that we engaged this morning with the unions. It was a very positive meeting, and the Education Authority is contacting schools to advise them that strike action should not be taking place tomorrow, but the unions are still going through their official processes. We are, however, now operating on the assumption that schools will be able to open as normal tomorrow. <BR /> <BR />We will continue to work on the finer details. Support staff in our classrooms, in our catering teams and who drive our buses are incredibly important. I deeply value the work that they do.”
“I can update the House on the progress that has been made. Last week, I engaged with the unions directly. I spent a number of hours with the team and stood up officials from my Department, and we made progress over the weekend. I engaged directly with the Finance Minister, and we identified a way forward that, I believe, can lead to a successful resolution. <BR /> <BR />The unions decided not to proceed with their industrial action today. It was important to have schools open, particularly special schools, where children and young people with complex needs require a regular form of access to the school environment. Strike action is particularly disruptive to the most vulnerable. We also had students sitting GCSE maths today, and there was concern that we would not be able to have that exam proceed for everybody.”
“The Seaview Primary School project is in the early stages of development, with an integrated consultant team (ICT) having been appointed for the project in November 2023. The ICT is undertaking a technical feasibility study to explore options and costs for providing suitable accommodation for the school, and it is anticipated that a report will be submitted to the Department for consideration in the coming months. Once the technical feasibility study report has been examined and approved by the Department, a business case will be completed that will identify the preferred option to be taken forward.”
“I have said this before, but the inference drawn that somehow other school sectors do not provide an integrated form of education is not right and is disrespectful to those schools. <BR /> <BR />I was at a school in Upper Bann with my colleague Diane Dodds. There are over 21 newcomers in that school environment. I was at another school where there are 18 different nationalities, all within the controlled sector. Those are integrated and diverse schools, but they do not have the word "integrated" in their official title. <BR /> <BR />Members, particularly in the Alliance Party, need to get off the particular issue of wanting preferential treatment for one sector. If you want to be a community for all, try including everybody.”
“I am happy to provide precise detail to that question, but what I say to Members is this: I have visited schools from various sectors, and, although some may not have "integrated" officially in their title, there are controlled schools that are more integrated than some that are officially designated as being integrated.”
“There has been significant spend over the past five years, amounting to £92·7 million. That represents approximately 22% of all major works expenditure across the schools' estate in that period, and I am sure that the Member will agree that, with only 8% of pupils attending an integrated school, that highlights the significant additional investment that integrated schools have received compared with other school sectors.”
“I have been successful in identifying £150 million for the Strule campus in Omagh. The Member may wish to take the issue up with Mr McCrossan, who has advocated very well for his constituency to ensure that six new schools are developed in that area as part of a shared educational programme. I was also successful in placing into my conventional capital programme the integrated schools that were part of the Fresh Start programme. Last week, I announced that Bangor Central Integrated Primary School and Millennium Integrated Primary School were moving forward and getting funding. I am not sure where the Member gets her information from, but those are the facts. I am treating all sectors equitably. No one sector will get preferential treatment over another: I will treat them all fairly.”
“The Department will also carry out ad hoc local surveys of parents to further assess and monitor demand, as required; consider the outcomes of parental ballots for transformation carried out by Electoral Reform Services; and consider any other relevant survey data available. <BR /> <BR />Where demand is identified through that structured and systematic analysis, I will ensure that the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) and the EA, as the arm’s-length bodies that are charged with promoting integrated education and providing sufficient places to meet parental preference respectively, work with their partners across the education sector to meet that demand.”
“<BR /> <BR />To measure, assess and aim to meet demand for integrated education, my Department will include societal-level questions on demand and the factors that parents consider when making school-admission decisions in the annual Northern Ireland life and times survey; assess and monitor parental demand for integrated education, as expressed through school admission preferences via the Education Authority's (EA) school admissions portal; use the EA's school admissions portal to obtain permission from parents to be surveyed regarding their school admission preferences; and, annually, carry out a Northern Ireland-wide survey of such parents to assess and monitor demand for integrated education.”
“Education in Northern Ireland is based on the key and guiding principle, established in our law, that children are educated, as far as possible, in accordance with the wishes of their parents. Diversity and choice are a strength, not a weakness, of our education system. Every child, every school and every sector is important and valued in our education system. Integrated education, which provides opportunities for children and young people from different community backgrounds to learn together, has an important role to play in that process. The number of pupils accessing integrated education continues to grow. Over 27,000 pupils in Northern Ireland are enrolled in 71 integrated schools. Over 6,000 additional places have been created in the past 10 years.”
“The Government in the Republic of Ireland did not ask for any strings to be attached to the funding and did not ask to be part of the design of the programme; it was left entirely to the Department of Education and this Government to do that. If the Republic of Ireland's Government are able to support that, I welcome that. If there are opportunities for further support from the Republic of Ireland and through seeking to get the proper funding formula in place in the United Kingdom context, we need to do that and make sure that we properly resource our public services.”
“We are significantly funded through the Treasury because of Northern Ireland's place in the United Kingdom, which is something that I welcome. Could we have more? Yes, we could. We are making that case, and ministerial colleagues have made it, to the Treasury. The interim fiscal framework helped with additional funding. As Minister, I still need to get on with the job with the resources that I have available to me, as challenging as that is. It will be difficult. Where there can be additional sources of funding that will benefit the children and young people of Northern Ireland, we should avail ourselves of them. If, as in this case, that comes from the Shared Island Fund, let us take that funding.”
“Where the programmes operate in communities, all the schools in those communities will be able to participate to varying degrees. Let us get the programme boards set up. A coordinator will be appointed in each area, and that will be an important role that will be co-designed in the communities. Templates can be followed, but, ultimately, we need local communities to take some ownership of the programme so that they can be part of it. It is about a whole-community response. In that respect, if a scheme is operating in an area, all the school settings should be able to participate in it.”
“<BR /> <BR />We need to address absenteeism. School' principals do incredible work. Some go to houses, driving their own vehicles, in order to try to find out how they can help children come to school. Absenteeism is particularly acute where there is disadvantage. That is why reducing educational underachievement through the RAISE programme, with its whole-community response that is aimed at getting people into school, will also have a benefit. If you are not in school or in the right setting — what other settings are there that can be useful in trying to encourage young people to engage in educational programmes? — you are not getting educated.”
“Absenteeism levels, particularly after COVID, have been a challenge across every sector. They are part of the reason why it is important that we keep schools open, because absenteeism is at its highest level since pre COVID. It got worse after COVID because of the lockdown measures that were put in place. I am concerned about absenteeism levels. We are working to address that, but we are living with a legacy of not having had schools open. We need to make sure that we can keep our schools open. Part of the reason why I welcomed the suspension of industrial action is that we were able to keep schools open today. That is vital, particularly for making sure that our special schools can stay open for our most vulnerable. Hopefully, I will have more to say on that at Question Time later this afternoon.”
“It is a significant announcement of £20 million and of programmes that will be established across Northern Ireland that will benefit people, particularly where there is educational underachievement and disadvantage in our communities. That is to be welcomed.”
“The Chairman of the Education Committee raises an important point about collaboration in the Executive and in Departments. We have been doing that and have been getting support from Executive colleagues. As the programme boards are stood up, they take a whole-community approach. We need to make sure that key stakeholders in Departments are involved in that, because it is not solely about education. Making sure that we provide support for education in communities also has benefits for health and the criminal justice system, particularly where we are working in areas of disadvantage. The announcement was made last week, but it did not get covered. It may get covered now that the issue has been aired.”
“Let me give a more detailed answer to the Member on what support is available for exchanges, because best practice, shared learning and shared experiences benefit everybody who is involved in them. I will write to the Member specifically on what support there is for youth engagement.”
“The Member, I know, will be pleased that I have been engaging east-west, and he will welcome that. Before the general election was called, I had met the UK Secretary of State for Education, Gillian Keegan, and the Schools Minister. Indeed, before the election was called, there was to have been a meeting of the Scottish, Welsh and English Ministers of Education and me, which I would have hosted here in Northern Ireland. The Member is right that we need to learn from all the jurisdictions that can help children here. Where I can get information from the Republic of Ireland, I absolutely will do so; equally, I want to make sure that we are supported in developing our education system by learning from Great Britain. I have been engaging on that, and I know that the Member will welcome my engagements on the east-west dimension.”
“The criteria that were used are there and will be robust when it comes to questions about which areas were included. The programme includes 15 areas in Northern Ireland. We wanted to make sure that there was a geographical spread, and every local government authority is included. It may not extend to every parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland, but there is a geographic spread. Educational underachievement is the key measurement that was used to identify areas that need the greatest amount of support because the programme is targeted at reducing educational underachievement. There were criteria to identify the number of areas in which work will be taken forward. There has to be a cut-off point. Not everywhere will benefit from the programme, but I ensured that every part of Northern Ireland had schemes in communities.”
“There is real opportunity in that area, and it is one where, if we can do it across both countries, we should do so.”
“Out of the elements of PEACE PLUS funding that the Department of Education continues to take forward, the key one is reducing educational disadvantage. It is now called the RAISE programme. It is about raising levels of achievement for individuals, schools and communities. It will build on what was contained in the 'A Fair Start' report. It has been welcomed by those who were involved in that. That is one of the key funding issues from which we have been getting support. <BR /> <BR />I mentioned Middletown Centre for Autism in my statement, which is a centre of excellence. It provides support in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. What more could Middletown do, particularly around special needs and supporting other schools?”
“The primary focus is on educational underachievement. There is also an element to do with the teacher research exchange, or T-REX, that I talked about. In that scheme, there is a programme called Bringing Live Arts to Students and Teachers (BLAST), which takes a type of creative industry approach. It is about asking how we can increase creative and performing arts in schools. <BR /> <BR />The scheme is being taken forward now. In every local government area, there will be a scheme somewhere. There are 15 specific areas. Every parliamentary constituency in Belfast is covered, and, in that respect, East Belfast is included. I look forward to meeting representatives from EastSide Learning in due course to see how it can be part of the programmes that we want to take forward in the constituency of East Belfast.”
“I am pleased to be able to roll the programme out, but it will partly be for the programme boards in each area to work through the exact details of how it will operate in order to ensure that it makes the kind of impact that we want. Where we can learn from other jurisdictions, we should do so.”
“I thank the Member for his comments. Where learning can be gained from either jurisdiction, we need to make sure that we share it. Where there is opportunity to look at educational underachievement and disadvantage, I am very much up for doing that. The programme that we announced last week is significant in how it builds on the 'A Fair Start' report. Now that we have officially announced the programme, we will continue to develop the criteria for and outworkings of it. It will make a very real impact. It is about a whole-community response with not only schools but other organisations, which could be churches or youth organisations. It is about supporting parents as well.”
“The funding is exclusively for Northern Ireland. I provided the detail in a written ministerial statement. I have already announced it. It was launched last week, and the details are in that. We are standing the programme up. There will be programme boards in every council area, and I would just refer the Minister to the written ministerial statement for an answer to his question.”
“Ministers confirmed the Council's commitment to ongoing collaboration between jurisdictions involving curriculum development, shared teacher professional learning opportunities and shared resources that emphasise sustainability and environmental stewardship. Ministers agreed that that collaboration could extend to sharing knowledge and experience on improvements in the school estate and transportation fleet. <BR /> <BR />My officials and I look forward to continuing to work in the education sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />Ministers welcomed the agreement in principle to commence a pilot cooperation programme in 2024 and 2025 to address educational disadvantage, supported by an allocation of €24 million from the Government of Ireland's Shared Island Fund, which is around £20 million. Ministers agreed that updates on the programme would be provided at future meetings. Ministers also welcomed the focus on addressing educational disadvantage included in the design of the new PEACE PLUS Shared Learning Together programme, related calls for which were published in 2023, and welcomed the recent positive funding announcements worth €13·3 million that have been made to date in respect of the programme. <BR /> <BR />The Council noted the climate change obligations in place in both jurisdictions.”
“The Council noted the work of the North/South youth work sector practice development hub in strengthening and developing sustainable North/South youth work sector relationships and enhancing the quality of the learning experience of young people participating in youth services across the island. <BR /> <BR />Ministers also welcomed the continuing collaborative work of the two education inspectorates and noted an update on inspection cooperation and engagement since 2021. They agreed that the respective inspectorates, along with their commissioning Departments, should explore the potential for funding to enable either or both inspectorates to be commissioned as the evaluators of choice or preferred evaluators and to provide a complete monitoring and quality assurance evaluation service to relevant projects and programmes.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Council noted the activity on pupil, youth, student and teacher exchanges on a North/South basis and the valuable experience that it has provided to those involved. Ministers welcomed the approval of funding under the PEACE PLUS programme under the Shared Learning Together heading, including for North/South school civic exchanges and under the youth mental health and well-being area. Ministers welcomed the proposals made by the two Education Departments and Mary Immaculate College, Limerick, to extend development and delivery of the teacher research exchange (T-REX) across both jurisdictions. The Council noted the work undertaken by the North/South Education and Training Standards Committee on endorsing undergraduate and postgraduate youth work programmes.”
“Ministers welcomed the overall achievements of the MCA since 2021 and commended the valuable contribution that its range of services has made to the education of children with autism and to young people in both jurisdictions. Ministers welcomed Stephen Douthart, the new CEO, and Sheila Darling, the new chair. They thanked Jim Lennon, the previous interim CEO, and Rosemary Steen, the previous chair, for their work in supporting the centre. The Council noted the work being carried out by both Departments and the MCA to develop, extend and enhance the services of the centre across the island. Ministers welcomed the fact that both Departments and the centre were scoping the potential for expansion of the services at Middletown to meet emergent needs in both jurisdictions.”
“<BR /> <BR />The meeting was cordial and productive, and progress was made on a number of key issues, including the review of the work programme; special educational needs (SEN); school, youth and teacher exchanges; cooperation between education inspectorates; educational underachievement; and addressing climate change and loss of biodiversity in the education sector. The Council noted that officials from both Administrations have conducted a review of the work programme for the NSMC education sector. Ministers noted the outcome of the review and agreed the revised work programme for the sector. <BR /> <BR />Stephen Douthart, chief executive officer of Middletown Centre for Autism (MCA), and Rosemary Steen, vice-chair, provided Ministers with an overview of the work of the centre.”
“In compliance with section 52 of the Northern Ireland Act 1998, I wish to make the following statement on the meeting of the North/South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in education sector format that was held on Wednesday 22 May 2024. The meeting took place in the Department of Education's Marlborough Street offices in Dublin and was chaired by Norma Foley TD, the Minister for Education for the Republic of Ireland. I attended the meeting along with Caoimhe Archibald, the Minister of Finance, who attended as the accompanying Minister, and Hildegarde Naughton TD, Minister of State at the Department of the Taoiseach. Caoimhe Archibald, the Minister of Finance, has agreed the statement and agreed for me to make it on our behalf.”
“I have outlined some of the measures that my Department is taking, not just in the short term but so that we get ahead of those challenges in the long term. We are taking forward a number of work streams to put us in proper shape in respect of that. <BR /> <BR />The issue has my attention. It is a priority. I welcome the positive way in which Members are engaging on it. We are making progress and will continue to do so. Hopefully, I have outlined some of the measures that have been taken in South Down. I am happy to continue to provide updates to Members and the House as appropriate.”
“As we continue to try to resolve the situation, I do not believe that it is appropriate for strike action to take place in respect of the issue. I will continue to update Members in respect of the issue as events take place in the days and weeks ahead. <BR /> <BR />Obviously, there has been debate about whether there is a crisis. I am clear that, for a family that does not get a place for their child in September, it is a crisis. I also recognise that there are systemic issues when it comes to special educational needs that the Chairman has rightly highlighted as being serious. That is why, since taking up office, I have sought to put in place measures recognising the challenges so that we can get ourselves on the front foot.”
“The Education Authority is the employing authority with respect to the staff. It has asked the unions for a derogation in respect of the strike action, so that the measures that are being taken do not impact on the most vulnerable children. I appeal to the unions to provide that derogation when it comes to the most vulnerable in society. I hope that they listen to that. <BR /> <BR />I have engaged with the Education Authority's chief executive today. I have engaged with the chairman of the Education Authority to ensure that contingency plans are being put in place so that we mitigate the impacts of the strike action. Examinations are taking place, and we need to ensure that measures are in place to allow them to proceed.”
“Obviously, I do not support strike action, and I hope that all Members will join me in saying that. Strike action will lead to the closure of special schools, and it will be the most vulnerable children who bear the brunt of strike action. I appeal to the unions not to proceed with that.”
“I agree with Members and associate myself with their remarks in paying tribute to our support staff, who carry out an invaluable service for those most in need. <BR /> <BR />The Budget that was agreed by the Executive, which will come to the House in a number of weeks, highlighted the desire to seek a resolution to the issue of the pay and grading review. I supported the business case for that, and the Department of Finance has approved it. I have asked the Minister of Finance to engage with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury. The Minister of Finance will engage with the Treasury to try to repurpose funding that will be available in future years. It is for the Finance Minister to engage with the Treasury on that issue, but we will continue to try to find a resolution. My deputy permanent secretary has met the trade unions twice.”
“Equally, I commend all the special schools, which Members have all spoken highly of, for their education of children for whom mainstream education is not suitable, as well as all the schools that have embraced the opportunity to establish specialist provision to reflect needs in their communities. They enhance the entire school community through the inclusion of our most vulnerable learners. <BR /> <BR />I will pick up on a couple of the points that Members raised in relation to the allied health professionals and engaging with the Department of Health. I assure Members that we engage with the Department of Health to make sure that there is provision, which includes speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and physiotherapists, all of whom are critical to our engagement.”
“The Education Authority is in discussion with Rathore School regarding potential expansion options for September of this year. <BR /> <BR />A number of solutions have also been agreed in the wider Downpatrick area to provide early years and foundation-stage specialist provision classes for children with severe learning difficulties, as Knockevin Special School has limited capacity for new admissions in the September 2024 school year. Expansion of the provision at Oakwood School's Saintfield site for September 2024 is also actively being progressed. Furthermore, four schools in South Down have confirmed the establishment of new or additional specialist provision in mainstream school classes for September. <BR /> <BR />I assure Members that I, of course, recognise the challenges in the South Down area.”
“It was both humbling and a pleasure when I spoke to the principal to advise her that work will commence immediately on the planning that is necessary for the new school. <BR /> <BR />The Education Authority has also been asked to submit proposals for any required extensions to special schools. Those will now be taken forward in the school enhancement programme, and it is envisaged that they will include Rathore School, which the Chair of the Committee, Nick, mentioned. That school is in the neighbouring constituency of Newry and Armagh, but, as he pointed out, it provides special school provision for some children from South Down. Additional land has recently been purchased beside the school, which should provide the growing space that will be necessary.”
“I appreciate the Member's commitment to securing sufficient special education provision in South Down, which the EA has identified as an area of particular pressure, with additional places required in special schools and in specialist provision in mainstream schools. I can confirm that 60 schools in the South Down constituency responded to the recent survey from my officials, over half of which have indicated a willingness to establish new or further provision for September of this year and beyond. You will be aware that capital investment was announced for planning for a much-needed new build for Knockevin Special School. All Members who spoke cited that, and Diane Forsythe and Colin McGrath invited me to visit that school.”
“Collectively, improving sustainability across our entire school estate, the end-to-end review of special educational needs, the development of an inclusion policy and the recent announcement of a bespoke special needs programme will deliver and secure a better future for all our children with special educational needs across Northern Ireland.”