Every imported question, contribution and motion, with its classification. Unflagged, uncertain and not-yet-analysed records are all included so the analysis can be checked independently.
We discussed a number of things. The Secretary of State took the opportunity to update us on UK policy on international students, which is important for our universities in Northern Ireland. She also gave a commitment that she and the Labour Government stood over the Command Paper 'Safeguarding the Union'. In that…
I thank the Minister for outlining that it is not Mrs Dodds's fault how he has turned out. It is important to have that on the record. The Minister referred to some of the issues discussed. Did the topic of school twinning across the rest of the UK come up, or was it discussed?
I hear Mrs Dodds, a former teacher, commending the school. She did not, however, have the opportunity to shape and mould me as a pupil. Diane cannot be blamed for how I have turned out. That was a particularly good meeting, because we welcomed to it the Rt Hon Bridget Phillipson MP, Secretary of State for Education in…
I thank the Member for that question. I was delighted to host the United Kingdom Education Ministers Council on Thursday 20 November. Yes, it happened at Laurelhill Community College in Lisburn.
Sadly, that is something that happens, particularly for young people in our schools. I engaged recently with Marie Curie, which provides excellent work on grief counselling. I commend the work that it does. It carries out a programme in schools, and I support that, because it is important that the people who will see…
Thank you, Minister; I welcome that response. On the back of the question, one conversation that we have recently been having on the Education Committee is about how to support children who experience bereavement. Will the Minister commit to meeting the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) to…
I am more than happy to engage with the Member on that. Underneath that question is a desire to make sure that all appropriate information is available in order to provide the best possible services at the point where people need them. I share the sentiment expressed and am happy to engage with the Member on how to…
That work is hugely important, as was evidenced by a recent survey of controlled schools that was carried out by the Education Authority. The findings of that survey are damning. I want the Education Authority to extend the survey to all schools to get feedback and their views on the Education Authority, but the…
I thank the Minister for that answer. In your view, Minister, how important is the work that that group does, particularly in relation to controlled schools and the support that they receive in Northern Ireland?
As announced on 17 September 2024, I have asked the delivery and implementation group to report to me by the end of December of this year. That remains the target.
I understand that frustration. It is often expressed to me by communities and those who are in the profession, particularly when there is a hope that something is being achieved where there is a need. The schools that were let down by the United Kingdom Government because of the withdrawal of the Fresh Start funding…
I will declare an interest as a parent of a child who attends Forge Integrated Primary School. As Paula Bradshaw says, the situation is deeply frustrating not just for the school's leadership but for the wider school community. Money was taken off Forge Integrated Primary School when it expected to get a new school,…
I understand the frustration with the processes. It has taken a considerable amount of time for the planning process to work its way through, with the pre-application discussion having been submitted to Belfast City Council in 2020. The project is at what we refer to as RIBA stage 3, and the project's integrated…
I thank the Minister for his update. As a representative for South Belfast, I share the frustration of the school's leadership, which has been working on the project for 10 years. When does the Minister anticipate that the school will be built?
The project at Forge Integrated Primary School aims to provide a new-build, 14-classroom integrated primary school at the former Knockbreda High School site in Belfast. That was originally to be funded via the Fresh Start Agreement, but, as a result of the withdrawal of funding, it now sits in my Department's…
I very much want to continue the excellent work that I was able to take forward when I came into post, which was to deliver a double-digit percentage increase to teachers' pay. We also brought the starting salary for new graduates from £23,000 up to £30,000, bringing it into line with that in England. That has helped…
I thank the Minister for his answer. I will declare an interest, as my wife is a teacher. Will the Minister make a pay offer in order to deliver pay parity for teachers in Northern Ireland?
Through the Teachers' Negotiating Committee (TNC), a joint pay group is operational. Meetings have taken place with employers, sectoral support bodies and the recognised teaching trade unions in the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council (NITC) to explain to and update them on the current financial pressures in education…
Those schools, because they are new, will require limited maintenance. Behind the question that the Member rightly raises is this: when we make that investment of millions and millions of pounds, if we do not maintain the facilities, we will actually cause harm to that level of investment. That is a real challenge…
Minister, what strategies are in place to ensure that, once projects are completed, facilities are maintained properly and funded accordingly to prolong their lifespan?
The Education Authority (EA), which owns the site, is considering that. As part of the work for special educational needs, the EA has been scoping out the full school estate. It has been mapping where the need exists, and that has been part of the issue when it comes to the old Dromore Central Primary School site.…
That is a very important question. Special educational needs has required significant investment of tens of millions of pounds to meet the need, and that need is expected to continue in the years ahead. In April, I established the SEN capital programme for the development of school facilities to support children…