Debate contribution: Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee
Debate contribution by Mr Paul Givan on .
- MLA
- Mr Paul Givan
- Party at the time
- Democratic Unionist Party
- Date
- 27 April 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Curriculum Taskforce Advisory Committee
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5508475
Read the official Assembly record
Text
It is all based on evidence-informed practice. I thank the over 70 professionals from across Northern Ireland, including principals and school leaders from every sector — Catholic maintained, controlled, integrated and Irish-medium — who have provided their expertise in the 13 subject working groups. I am delighted that that work is coming to a conclusion, which will allow a public consultation to take place. That work has been carried out at a very high level. Its implementation — how it will roll out in our schools once the consultation is complete and we have a finalised curriculum — needs to be carefully timed . It has very much been led and owned by people who are involved in education locally. International experts have been able to assist. It is important to look at best practice internationally, including in the Republic of Ireland, which has helped to shape some of the proposals that we are taking forward. I was very much assured — and rebuked — at a school that I visited recently. The principal commended the work on curriculum reform and then chastised me for not moving fast enough. She said, "Our children cannot afford to wait. We cannot allow a generation to continue with the current system in Northern Ireland", and she pushed me to do more and to do it more quickly. It is appropriate for people to challenge me, but they also need to ask themselves what the basis is for their questions. It is not about ideology. I did not have an ideological agenda when I came into this role, and I did not pursue a particular approach. Instead, I was open to information and evidence, which is what informs that work. It has been led by people from various perspectives on the political spectrum. It is not beholden to any particular ideology; it is evidence-informed.
310 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: 0.05 (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 (0.98).
- Subject area: Education structures, integration and community division.
- 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 | 0.05 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.02 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.02 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.05 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.59 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.05 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.98 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.01 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.01 |
| Adopts it | 0.00 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Education structures, integration and community division | 0.90 |
| Religion and belief (including people of no religion), churches, faith communities and religious prejudice (including antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice) | 0.07 |
| Sectarianism, hate crime and community relations | 0.02 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.01 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:30 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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