Debate contribution: AS-level Applicants: Central Applications Office
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 29 September 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- AS-level Applicants: Central Applications Office
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5139133
Read the official Assembly record
Text
There is an opportunity for everybody to participate in the consultation. The process that was followed before we went out to consultation included engagement with a range of stakeholders, including pupils — their voices were heard on the matter — and teachers. I recognise that there is increased anxiety in relation to the issue, given the amount of testing of our young people that takes place, particularly in years 11, 12, 13 and 14. They are on a constant conveyor belt of examinations. They are prepped for those examinations and are often taught to the test. We need to recalibrate that so that they have the opportunity to engage in a rich curriculum and gain a detailed understanding of the subject matter. Assessment will, of course, always be a part of our qualifications system. Take AS levels as an example. Preparations for those examinations happen within months of starting lower sixth. Schools will then often have the young people off to prepare for their mocks. That could be for two or three weeks. The AS levels are then completed in May. Some schools do not bring the children back for the entire month of June. It can be up to seven weeks in the life of those young people that they are not in the classroom and are not being taught because they are subject to an examination process. I see the merits in the arguments of those who say that we should remove those exams, but I am also alert to some of the arguments that are made to me about why there is an opportunity for their retention. That is because it can be a wake-up call for some young people if their results do not go as they intended, so that can help to motivate them. It is also concerning to me that we have a very small number of schools that withdraw the opportunity for those young people to complete their A levels, in that they allow them to do only one year of study and then abandon them. That is not appropriate either, so there is a mixed environment on which to take a view. I genuinely hope that we will get a range of views and that we can then proceed on what we have determined as the best way forward.
387 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).
- Assessed as legitimate policy scrutiny (0.90).
- No identity-based framing was identified (1.00).
- 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 | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.02 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.90 | Yes |
| 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 |
|---|---|
| No identity-related subject | 0.62 |
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.35 |
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.03 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 13:18 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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