Written question AQW 50065/22-27
Written question by Mr Pat Sheehan on .
- MLA
- Mr Pat Sheehan
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 30 June 2026
- Type
- Written question
- Assembly reference
- AQW 50065/22-27
- Department
- Department of Education
- Business
- To the Minister of Education
- Assembly identifier
- Document 493583
Read the official Assembly record Open Data source
Text
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of new specialist provision in mainstream schools (SPiMS) classes opened during the 2025-2026 academic year, including (i) the number of pupils enrolled in those new classes; and (ii) the percentage of pupils entitled to free school meals at each mainstream school in which a new SPiMS class opened, broken down by (a) controlled primary; (b) maintained primary; (c) integrated primary; (d) Irish-medium primary; (e) grammar; and (f) non-grammar, schools.
79 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.07 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- Subject area: Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.03 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.03 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| Overall judgement | 0.07 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 1.00 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.00 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Disability (including neurodivergence and mental health), disabled people and disability or sickness benefits | 0.55 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.36 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.07 |
| Irish language, Ulster-Scots and language policy | 0.02 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 07:22 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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