Debate contribution: Children and Young People's Emotional Health and Well-being in Education Framework
Debate contribution by Mr Mike Nesbitt on .
- MLA
- Mr Mike Nesbitt
- Party at the time
- Ulster Unionist Party
- Date
- 9 December 2024
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Children and Young People's Emotional Health and Well-being in Education Framework
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4698458
Read the official Assembly record
Text
The children and young people's emotional health and well-being in education framework was launched in 2021. It is funded jointly by my Department and the Department of Education. A number of important projects and pilots have been taken forward through the framework, collectively providing help and support to children and young people in relation to their emotional and mental health. Those include the emotional well-being teams in schools project, the objective of which is to ensure that post-primary schools are aware of appropriate pathways for support. That project commenced in the financial year 2023-24. In the current academic year — 2024-25 — it will engage with no fewer than 50,000 children in 68 post-primary schools across the region. That is an increase from 46 schools in 2023-24. The resilience in education, assisting change to happen (REACH) programme has engaged approximately 8,000 pupils across more than 100 schools. REACH is an Education Authority Youth Service programme for six- to 19-year-olds to develop positive emotional health, increase their readiness for learning and build their resilience. The Being Well Doing Well programme supports schools with their current policies and practice to embed emotional health and well-being in them. In 2023-24, a total of 132 schools participated, with 160 schools projected to participate in 2024-25. Furthermore, a regional integrated support for education (RISE), Health-led, multi-professional early intervention team has been established for primary pupils up to primary 7. It aims to support younger children with their emotional health and well-being needs. The project has supported small groups and provided whole-class support to 242 schools in the 2023-24 financial year.
265 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: 0.02 (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).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.01 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.01 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.01 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.47 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.02 | 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 | 0.56 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.38 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.04 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 11:41 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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