Question to the Minister of Education

Minister's Answer

We have engaged with a number of organisations, not least the National Association of Head Teachers. We have facilitated engagement with principals. We continue to identify specific localities where there is a need, and we seek to engage with school principals there, but, ultimately, not enough schools are making themselves available. Whatever their concerns may be, they need to work with the EA to identify the challenges. I intend to strengthen the Education Authority's provision so that schools have to engage with it. We cannot have only 26% of schools meeting the current need. We need many more schools to do that. Some may have legitimate reasons why they are not able to, but it is not acceptable just to say, "No, we will not engage". Therefore, I intend to strengthen the EA's powers to force that conversation and then work proactively to find solutions so that we can address those issues in local areas.