Analysis in progress: 81,532 of 97,621 records assessed (83.5%). Totals and rankings will change until it finishes. Progress details
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 qualifying, uncertain or not yet analysed.
The Member rightly raises those issues of concern. I recognised them when I came into this role over two years ago. As part of the outworkings of a pay settlement, I commissioned the independent review to identify the issues, and it made 27 recommendations. I set about an implementation process to take that forward.…
I am not directly involved in the engagement with teaching unions, following the recent ballots in favour of taking industrial action. There has been substantial engagement by my officials and the management representatives on the Teachers' Negotiating Committee (TNC) with the five recognised teaching trade unions…
I accepted the finding in the King's College report that being non-prescriptive was the best means of implementation. We have not said to schools that mobile phone pouches ought to be provided. That is why funding will not be provided to schools for that. The pilot scheme was helpful, as it provided the evidence base…
The Member raises the side effects and symptoms that come from smartphone technology, which include all the things that I outlined in response to Mrs Erskine. That is why we have to treat the root cause of the problem, not just bring in the support that is needed to address all of the mental health challenges in our…
I thank the Member for posing a serious question, one that is based on the now indisputable evidence of the harmful impacts of smartphone technology on our entire population but particularly on young people as they are developing and in our schools. King's College London carried out an evaluation of the eight…
The Department is also reviewing its behaviour policy: maybe Mr Baker could be part of a pilot scheme on how to be better behaved in the Chamber. The Member has been critical of something for which there is no evidence. He cannot substantiate it. Coming from Mr Baker, that is not a surprise.
I am not sure what planet the Member is on; it is certainly not planet Northern Ireland. I do not know what the funding of "millions of pounds" relates to. No such funding is being provided. None has been given to any schools. One school has not — The Member does not want to know the answer to his question, which was…
Decisions on the purchase of resources and equipment, including items such as mobile phone pouches, are operational matters for individual schools and their boards of governors, which are responsible for ensuring that any expenditure represents an appropriate and effective use of public funds. That delegation of…
I do not have information on that site. There is a process to be followed, however, for the disposal of a site. First, does it have an educational purpose? Once that is ruled out, is there another public-sector use for it? It can then be transferred accordingly, following the proper processes, or you look at disposing…
That is a not unfamiliar story when sites are derelict. If there is a specific health and safety concern, that is something that the EA will look at. Obviously we do not want people getting access to a site with the potential for antisocial behaviour. I am happy to raise the specifics with the EA on the Member's…
The Education Authority (EA) is currently considering the potential future use of the site for the provision of SEN accommodation. The EA has completed a desktop site assessment and is progressing a feasibility report on the proposed use of the site. It is one of a number of sites in North Down that are being…
I thank the Member for those comments. She is right to highlight the work in rural areas in particular and the importance of those settings to communities. We must make sure that the benefits accrue everywhere in Northern Ireland. We are taking a number of measures, but one is to increase the value per child in the…
I can guarantee that every single child in Northern Ireland who wants to get a paid preschool place will be able to get it regardless. The position is that there has been universal provision for nearly a decade now, which was not the case in 1998. Then, it sat at less than half of all young people availing themselves…
I thank the Member for her question on preschool applications. When it comes to providing access, you want as many first-choice applicants as possible to be successful. An increasing number have been successful in attaining their first choice, but managing the number of providers and making them available is an…
Since taking office in February 2024, my approach has been characterised by three simple ambitions: excellence in education, choice for parents and a fair deal for hard-working families. By this stage, Members will no doubt be familiar with my educational reform plan, which is grounded in evidence and informed by…
There were two court cases. The most recent decision at the Court of Appeal upheld the decision of the first court, and that validated my decision not to approve proposals to transform Rathmore Primary School and Bangor Academy. The court recognised the statutory duty to engage, facilitate and support integrated…
It is not just the last 12 months. When I came into office, I commissioned work to identify the issue with SEN provision and the capacity in our schools. All 39 special schools supporting children with severe learning difficulties needed school enhancements. The work that is needed has been identified and mapped out.…
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. Changes have been made to the process for providing placements; there has been engagement with schools across the Province;…
This is an area that, rightly, the Executive have prioritised. It is a Programme for Government commitment, and it is one of the projects that I believe the Executive can rightly be proud of delivering. My Department has been responsible for moving at pace, and there are many strands to it that have been very…
We are at a critical point in relation to the early learning and childcare strategy. I published the ELC on 17 December. It was approved by the Executive. There was a 14-week public consultation that ended on 24 March. A total of 469 responses were received by the closing date. Officials are completing a comprehensive…
I am happy to find out more about that. The Member rightly articulates the need for support for looked-after children. The Jones report looked at the services that sit across Education, Justice and Health. I am happy to look into the particular issues that the Member has raised.
It is important to say that what has been produced is the curriculum framework. It is not the detailed school-level curriculum; it is a statutory minimum requirement to be taught in all our schools. It is the minimum content. One of the issues that people have brought to me — Members have talked about this — is…