Paul Givan said: “On 3rd February, I will have been Education Minister for a year. Since coming into office, it has been a real privilege to see the excellent work done in our schools, pre-schools and youth settings and to see wonderful examples of teachers and leaders putting the needs of every child first.
“Education is the cornerstone of our society. It shapes the future of our children and in turn our communities, our economy and our society. I truly believe it is the greatest investment any society makes in its own future and that a highly educated population is vital to Northern Ireland’s prosperity.
“With a shortened mandate there was no time to waste in delivering the kind of improvement in our education system that we all want to see.”
Setting out how he has delivered change that will benefit thousands of children and young people across Northern Ireland, Paul Givan continued: “One of my top priorities was the transformation of early learning and childcare provision in Northern Ireland. I wanted to help working parents with their childcare bills as increasing childcare costs has put pressures on many families across Northern Ireland.
“In May 2024, I secured £25million from the Executive for the most significant expansion of Early Learning and Childcare provision in decades. By September, we had cut through red-tape and developed a brand-new Childcare Subsidy Scheme. Over 14,000 children have already registered and it is reducing family childcare bills by 15%.
“I also embarked upon the most significant expansion of pre-school education in a generation to provide all children with a full-time pre-school education place, something which is currently only available to 40% of children. An additional 2,500 children in 106 pre-school settings right across Northern Ireland will be offered a full-time place from September 2025. To be clear, this has been the most comprehensive childcare package in our country’s history.”
The Minister continued: “Within months of coming into office I ensured that the starting salary for teachers was increased by 24% to £30,000 and resolved long standing industrial action by support staff by agreeing new arrangements for pay and grading.
“I also secured Executive agreement and £150million of additional funding for the largest ever school building programme in Omagh with the Strule Shared Education campus and set out an ambitious building plan for Special Schools.
“We have published guidance to limit the use of mobile phones in schools, we announced that all schools would be provided with a defibrillator, and we are providing schools with extra funding for play equipment and PE facilities.”
On tackling educational disadvantage, Paul Givan said: “Progress has been made in closing the gap but there is more we can do to tackle disadvantage. In May 2024, I announced a major programme of investment which will seek to raise attainment. Over the next two years over £20million will be invested through the RAISE Programme to tackle disadvantage and remove the barriers that prevent many of our children and young people from engaging in learning.”
Turning to the year ahead, the Minister continued: “As we enter a second year, I want us to lift our ambitions even further and initiate change for the better.
“In the coming weeks, I will be introducing legislation to control the costs of school uniforms to ensure they are affordable for all families. I will also publish a clear and cohesive strategy for education, which sets out in detail my plans for education transformation, focusing on the core areas of curriculum; assessment; qualifications; school improvement; and tackling educational disadvantage.
“I recently appointed an International Ministerial Advisory Panel, made up of exceptional individuals with international expertise, to provide advice and to support the transformation of our education system.
“Work has already begun. Firstly, I want to renew my focus on raising standards and attainment across our schools. Curriculum is at the centre of every classroom, every school and indeed of our entire education system.
“Our current curriculum was introduced in 2007. I want to ensure that every child is taught a broad, ambitious and knowledge rich curriculum that develops their learning, critical thinking and problem-solving.
“In October, I commissioned Lucy Crehan, an international expert in education policy, to carry out a focused, timebound review of curriculum design and delivery. Literacy and numeracy are the essential foundations of all learning and flowing from the curriculum review I also intend to publish new literacy and numeracy strategies for Northern Ireland.
“I have also commenced a review of Key Stage assessment in schools. In the coming weeks, I will bring forward plans for a system level check in literacy and numeracy which will provide consistent, measurable data on children’s outcomes at age 8, 11 and 14.”
The Minister concluded: “In 2025, I will also be supporting schools to adopt innovative approaches to supporting pupils with Special Educational Needs. That is why I recently set out my vision for an ambitious programme of reform to ensure that our education system is structured and equipped to effectively meet the needs of children with Special Educational Needs so that they can enjoy a positive, inclusive educational experience which supports them to thrive.
“Finally, our early years and childcare policies have made a difference in 2024 and I intend to build on this in 2025. I am pleased to have secured £50million for Early Learning and Childcare within the draft Executive Budget for 2025/26. This will enable us to carry on this important work into next year, including the continuation of the Childcare Subsidy Scheme.”