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Mr Paul Givan: Assembly records
All of Mr Paul Givan’s imported questions, contributions and motions in this mandate, newest first, including those assessed as not flagged, uncertain or not yet analysed.
The Member had me visit the school fairly soon after I took up office. I am pleased to confirm that, since my announcement in May, the technical designs for the major works project for Crawfordsburn Primary School have been approved by my Department and construction procurement is ongoing. The project will provide a…
The opening capital budget provision that my Department received for this year was £254 million, which included £20 million of earmarked funding for the Strule Shared Education Campus. As part of June monitoring, my Department made a bid totalling £114 million for high-priority requirements that were not funded by the…
Not only would I be happy to attend that meeting; I am determined that I will attend it. I will also undertake to formally raise the issue with the Minister of Health, because it is important that that support is provided in our special schools. I have highlighted my concern about a withdrawal of services and will…
I welcome the Member to the Assembly, as I have not yet had an opportunity to do so. You are very welcome, and I look forward to working with you as not just a Member for Lagan Valley but someone for whom education is a key interest. The Member, rightly, raised the issue of support for special schools from allied…
The task force will develop a proposed model for controlled schools support, which will include a dedicated body with managing authority responsibility. In the shorter term, it will identify key performance issues and required improvements for controlled schools within the controlled model. The task force has been…
I thank the Member for his question about controlled schools. This has been an issue for a number of years, but I have become acutely aware of it since taking up my current role. I regret that the Education Authority has, in many respects, failed controlled schools. As a result of the existing structures, controlled…
Obviously, the draft Programme for Government highlights a number of key high-level objectives. Education features in those, particularly that for children with special educational needs. Now is a welcome and opportune time for the public to have their say on the draft Programme for Government. However, I did not need…
The Member is not comparing like with like: one of those relates to the curriculum. However, I appreciate and thank the Member for his and his colleagues' support for the initiative on mobile phones. A clear evidence base has been established on the detrimental harm and distraction that mobile phone technology causes…
We need to get the appropriate support for new capital, because we have flexed the spare capacity in schools. We need to develop new infrastructure. That will require additional investment —
After I came into office, I said, in March, that an estimated additional 1,000 specialist education places needed to be created for this academic year. I immediately got to work to resolve the issues and to provide clear leadership in that regard by establishing a task force. I can confirm that a total of 183 new…
My Department is in daily contact with the Education Authority through the school admissions process to ensure that all parents nominate a school for their child and that places are available for those children. Fewer than five preschool target-age children whose parents fully engaged with the admissions process have…
There certainly will not be any differential treatment, irrespective of the type of school. Those in a special school or those in mainstream education who have additional educational needs should all receive the appropriate support. Again, the minimum curriculum content is an entitlement, and I therefore do not expect…
Schools will develop their proposals and policies in that area, and I have highlighted ways in which they can do that. The EA and my Department provide guidance, and I intend to update that guidance. There is also material available from CCEA. The school principal should be capable of navigating the area and making…
I thank the Member for that question. RSE is a compulsory element of the curriculum, and, in post-primary schools, it is covered under the personal development aspect of learning for life and work. The Member highlights the fact that there is no evidence to suggest that a one-size-fits-all approach delivers a more…
I thank the Member for raising that, because that was an Executive policy and strategy that I was pleased to see come through and that I supported, particularly the component that relates to education. There is a responsibility across many aspects of society to engage on the issue. Certainly, I will ensure that my…
The curriculum provides opportunities to educate young people to develop healthy relationships. Pupils have the opportunity to explore their management of a range of feelings and emotions and those of others, initiating, developing and sustaining mutually satisfying relationships; explore the qualities of a loving,…
There are many factors, and social disadvantage is one of them. However, there is indisputable evidence that Protestant working-class communities are more educationally disadvantaged than any other community, and therefore the Member would be wrong to imply that somehow there is not an issue when it comes to community…
Obviously, the RAISE programme is one such area. We will want to measure the interventions to ensure that they are effective. There will be a role for the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) in that. As we stand up and develop the programmes, we will need to assess them. In identifying areas, the key component…
I thank the Member for raising that issue. Obviously, the Executive agreed the £25 million for early years education. We have been able to roll out the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy, which is an excellent initiative that is already providing support to hard-working families. I want to take forward the wider work…
I will take away the names of the schools that he has highlighted and look into the issue. Fifteen localities across Northern Ireland are taking part in that project. The scheme provides a really good opportunity for not just Belfast — there is significant support in Belfast — but every part of Northern Ireland to…
I thank the Member for his comments about the successful negotiation that settled the pay dispute for our support staff. He rightly acknowledges the critical work that support staff do. They are invaluable in our schools and across the education system. It was as a result of the work that we were able to take forward…
I am aware of the continued challenges around underachievement associated with Protestant boys who are entitled to free school meals (FSM). My Department is supporting working-class Protestant boys in a variety of ways. As part of the investment made in schools via the common funding formula, £75 million is provided…
I agree entirely with the Member. As part of the end-to-end review of special education, we have identified a number of the key challenges relating to post-school options. They include the lack of available places and the imperfect planning complexities around individual needs. Those responses will inform the future…
The Member rightly highlights how some parents have had to robustly challenge the lack of support that they have received when statements of special educational needs have been provided. The outworking of the end-to-end review that the Department is taking forward — I hope to be able to outline some further progress…