Links:
The Education Committee minutes are published (albeit with delay) here:
The assembly week/schedule can be found here:
The Consolidated list of questions requiring written answers can be found here:
This is the link to the answers: - it presents the answers by week, by division/minister
RSS feed of written questions specific to the education minister is here (I have been watching it as well as I am able):
Oral responses (as at post date):
Written questions and their planned response dates follow (extracted with specific focus upon Education)
ORAL RESPONSES
Northern Ireland
Assembly
Monday 22 February 2010
Schools: Overcrowding
4. Mr Paisley Jnr asked the Minister of Education to outline her strategy to reduce overcrowding in classrooms. (AQO 794/10)
The Minister of Education: Glacaim leis go bhfuil an Comhalta ag fiafraí díom ar mhaith liom go laghdófaí méideanna ranga. Is é an freagra ar an gceist ná gur mhaith.
I assume that the Member is asking whether I wish to see class sizes reduced. The answer to that question is, of course, yes. It is important to reduce class sizes, because the quality of learning is vital to later educational progress. Although school leadership and the quality of teaching are key influences on learning outcomes, there is evidence that smaller class sizes and, thus, lower pupil:teacher ratios in the early years can have a positive effect on outcomes.
The pupil:teacher ratio also has a key role to play for teachers in schools that have significant proportions of disadvantaged pupils. Smaller classes enable them to deal with barriers to learning, to give individual help to pupils or to work in small groups. In all primary and post-primary schools, the responsibility for determining the actual pupil:teacher ratio and class size rests with the schools through the use of their delegated budgets. That includes determining the number of teachers and non-teaching members of staff, including classroom assistants, that they can afford.
Due to the importance of early years development, funding to support the foundation stage of the revised curriculum has been fully delegated to primary schools since 2008. That funding amounts to over £22 million in the current year, and it ensures the provision of classroom assistants for all year 1 and year 2 classes in all primary schools.
I welcome the interest that the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) and the Ulster Teachers’ Union (UTU) have shown in this area. It will be important to reduce class sizes further. However, that will require substantial investment, which will need approval across the Executive.
Mr Paisley Jnr: I thank the Minister for her answer. I asked the question with primary schools in mind. Does the Minister accept that the facts sit uncomfortably against the actions of the Department and the strategy that she has just enunciated? Pupil:teacher ratios are low in some schools in rural parts of my constituency of North Antrim, yet those schools are under greatest threat of being closed. Surely, trying to keep those schools open should be a dynamic drive in the community, because they allow for lower class sizes.
Mr Deputy Speaker: The Member should ask a question.
Mr Paisley Jnr: Does the Minister accept that prep schools in Northern Ireland are disproportionately affected by the policy? They also have a low pupil:teacher ratio, yet they are under threat of closure.
The Minister of Education: The Member asked a couple of questions. As I said in my earlier answer to Mr Paisley Jnr, class size is one factor in relation to good quality education in a school. If a school gets below a certain threshold, and it has a small number of teachers with composite classes, it can be difficult for the teachers, pupils and classroom assistants. Therefore, different factors contribute to leadership and to outcomes for children and young people. I do not accept that it is good to keep a school open in all cases. We have a sustainable schools policy. The issue has to be looked at in the round, because, ultimately, as Mr Paisley Jnr and other Members know well, parents will make decisions. If a school is becoming so small that it has a number of composite classes, parents may choose to bypass it. That has happened in a number of cases.
The Member will be aware that George Bain raised the issue of prep schools. The issue is one of inequality, and it is not fair that some schools are treated more equally than others. Therefore, I am reviewing that matter, and an equality impact assessment is out. Those are issues that we are looking at. [Interruption.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: I remind Members not to shout across the Chamber. If certain Members persist in doing so, I will name them.
Mr Leonard: Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle. I ask the Minister, in that context, for some more detail — [Interruption.]
Mr Deputy Speaker: Order. I cannot hear Mr Leonard.
Mr Leonard: Go raibh maith agat, a LeasCheann Comhairle, for calling for that quiet.
I ask the Minister, in that context, to give some more detail on how schools are funded.
The Minister of Education: Go raibh maith agat as an cheist sin. Tugann na socruithe um bainistiú áitiúil scoileanna solúbthacht do bhoird gobharnóirí scoileanna cinntí a dhéanamh ar mhéideanna ranga.
The local management of schools arrangements allow schools’ boards of governors the flexibility to take decisions on class sizes as part of their responsibilities for determining their schools’ staffing complement and for managing budgets. All primary schools with pupils in years one or two receive funding within the delegated local management of schools budgets under the foundation stage factor of the common funding formula. That factor is intended to provide primary schools with additional funds to ensure that they deliver the foundation stage of the primary curriculum effectively, including the use of classroom assistants and classroom resources.
The amount of foundation stage funding that is allocated to each primary school is based on the number of eligible pupils who are in the school. Total funding of over £22 million was distributed across all grant-aided primary schools in the 2009-2010 financial year. Priority has been given to increasing funding to front line school services and to increasing the proportion of available funding going to primary schools. That has resulted in a significant uplift — from 65·8% to 70·4% — in the proportion of funding that is delegated to primary schools for each pupil compared with post-primary schools.
I want to make a comment about secondary schools, because at the moment they are suffering the brunt of demographic decline and the inequality of the system. In any changes that we make, we have to be clear that we do not disadvantage our secondary schools. Secondary schools are already very disadvantaged, with a disproportionate number of children on free school meals and of children with special educational needs, and that situation is a result of the inequality of our current system.
Mrs M Bradley: Considering the contribution that factors such as smaller classes made to raising standards, what resources have been allocated to reducing class sizes?
The Minister of Education: I answered that question on two occasions in previous questions for oral answer. I absolutely share with all Members the belief that smaller class sizes is one of the key factors in raising standards. Note that I said that it is one of the key factors; leadership is another, and we are pouring money into professional qualifications for head teachers. Last week, I was at the ceremony in the Ramada hotel at which 212 of our teachers were, after two years’ hard work, granted the professional qualification for head teachers. School leadership is one of the essential criteria. Class size is not the single factor that determines outcomes, and, as I said, schools can become so small that it creates difficulties, particularly with composite classes and small numbers of teachers, and it can also affect the morale of schools.
WRITTEN QUESTIONS/RESPONSESThe only minuted items of relevance over the recent time period (back into January) is shown below (it is based upon presentations from VOLUNTARY Grammar Schools Bursars'.. nevertheless)
Prior to Wed 24th (today) no relevant questions requiring a written answer were made to the Education Minister
Questions for Written Answer
on Wednesday 24 February 2010
3. Mr M Storey (North Antrim)
To ask the Minister of Education how many additional primary school places her Department can afford to fund from September 2010 for preparatory school children who may be affected by her proposals on preparatory school funding.
AQW 4634/10
Questions for Written Answer
on Friday 26 February 2010
4. Mr M Storey (North Antrim)
To ask the Minister of Education to confirm if her Department is currently reviewing, or has any plans to review, how the existing management or governance status of schools is defined, altered or changed.
AQW 4710/10
Questions for Written Answer
on Tuesday 2 March 2010
13. Mr A Easton (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education if her proposal to withdraw funding for preparatory pre-schools requires Executive approval.
AQW 4793/10
14. Mr A Easton (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education if her proposal to withdraw funding for preparatory pre-schools will be subject to an Equality Impact Assessment before any final decision.
AQW 4794/10
Questions for Written Answer
on Wednesday 3 March 2010
9. Mr A Ross (East Antrim)
To ask the Minister of Education what discussions she held with her Executive colleagues prior to announcing that she would be withdrawing funding for preparatory departments.
AQW 4819/10
Questions for Written Answer
on Friday 5 March 2010
16. Mr P Weir (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the level of funding, per pupil, by her Department in 2009/10; and (ii) the projected level of funding in 2010/11 for (a) primary school pupils; and (c) preparatory school pupils.
AQW 4944/10
17. Dr S Farry (North Down)
To ask the Minister of Education what measures are included within Equality Impact Assessments conducted by her Department to ensure that the interests of people with identities outside the two perceived main traditions in Northern Ireland are taken into account.
AQW 4971/10
Questions Tabled For Written Answer
On Monday 8 March 2010
1. Mr M Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education to provide a definition of (i) a voluntary school; (ii) a maintained school; and (iii) a controlled school.
(AQW 4995/10)
2. Mr M Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education to outline how the management or governance status of a new school is determined.
(AQW 4996/10)
3. Mr M Storey (North Antrim):
To ask the Minister of Education if her Department is currently reviewing, or has plans to review, how the existing management or governance status of schools is defined, altered or changed.
(AQW 4997/10)
COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION
MINUTES OF PROCEEDINGS
WEDNESDAY, 10 FEBRUARY 2010
ROOM 21, PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS
5. Presentation from NI Voluntary Grammar Schools Bursars’ Association on the Review of Funding of Preparatory Departments of Grammar Schools
Stephen McConnell, Chairman, Mr John Robinson, Vice-Chairman, Mr John Monteith, and Mr Karl Wilson, Committee Members joined the meeting at 2.23pm.
The witnesses provided briefing on the review of funding of preparatory departments of grammar schools and answered questions from Members on a number of issues, including: levels of achievement in preparatory departments; whether preparatory departments provide ‘value for money’ and ‘added value’; whether there has been sufficient level of consultation between the Department and preparatory departments; the appearance that the decision to end the funding to preparatory departments has already been taken in advance of the outcome of the EQIA consultation; whether the timescale for the consultation period and proposed effective date is adequate; whether there has been consideration of the Department’s proposal for preparatory departments to be funded on the same basis as the Integrated/Irish-medium sectors; whether there is evidence to support the assumption that a surplus of mainstream primary school places exist within reasonable travel distance from existing preparatory departments; the potential financial impact of the removal of funding on the Department;
Mr McCrea joined the meeting at 2.50pm.
equality of access and opportunity; whether the removal of part-funding will create a completely separate private education system; whether pupils from preparatory departments are given preferential treatment when transferring from preparatory to the parent grammar school; whether the parent grammar school can assist with the funding for its associated preparatory department; barriers to access to education; the level of engagement or consultation the schools have undertaken with the parents of pupils attending preparatory departments on the Review proposals;
Mr McCallister joined the meeting at 3.12pm.
whether the schools affected have undertaken legal advice on the proposals; and the future of teachers within preparatory departments.
The Chairperson thanked the witnesses for an informative briefing and they left the meeting at 3.24pm.
Mrs Bradley left the meeting at 3.24pm.
Agreed – the Committee would write to the Department of Education to ask whether the proposal to remove funding to preparatory departments will require legislative change and whether this decision will require Executive approval.
The Deputy Chairperson requested further information on the admissions criteria for the 16 Grammar Schools with Preparatory Departments affected by the proposals.
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