Question Time: Education Tuesday 16 February 2021
Channel: Northern Ireland Assembly
Date: 2021-02-16

Peter Weir, Minister for Education answering questions in the Assembly Chamber 16 February 2021. Read the Official Report (Hansard) - https://lk.nia.fyi/33mJ​

Each of the questions answered have been chaptered in the video to help you find them more easily.

Chapters / Questions
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00:00 - Question 1 - Mr Stewart asked the Minister of Education for his assessment of his Department's current minor capital works. (AQO 1582/17-22)

06:04 - Question 2 - Mr McGlone asked the Minister of Education whether he has provided any additional resource to Irish-medium education to address the specific immersion needs of children, including those with no access to Irish education at home. (AQO 1583/17-22)

14:55 - Question 3 & 9 - Mr Harvey asked the Minister of Education, following the recent publication of the Executive's children and young people's strategy 2020-2030, for a timescale for the development and publication of the associated three-year children and young people’s strategy delivery plan. (AQO 1584/17-22)

9. Ms Ní Chuilín asked the Minister of Education what steps he is taking to ensure that, despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, the children and young people's strategy 2020-2030 is taken forward urgently. (AQO 1590/17-22)

26:16 - Question 4 - Dr Aiken asked the Minister of Education what provision is being made for transfer tests in autumn 2021. (AQO 1585/17-22)

Topical Questions
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28:55 - Topical Question 1 - Mr McAleer asked the Minister of Education, after declaring an interest as a parent of two teenagers who are grappling with the new means of education, for his assessment of the level of engagement with remote learning amongst pupils in this lockdown compared with the lockdown last year. (AQT 1001/17-22)

33:11 - Topical question 2 - Mr Givan asked the Minister of Education to outline his plans to bring legislation to the House. (AQT 1002/17-22)

36:25 - Topical Question 3 - Mr Lunn asked the Minister of Education, in reference to Dr Aiken’s question and in light of the fact that, in recent years, even pre-COVID, several grammar schools have decided to move away from academic selection, whether he is content with that trend or does he intend to put pressure on those schools to revert to his preferred system. (AQT 1003/17-22)

39:49 - Topical Question 4 - Ms Dolan asked the Minister of Education, given that he will be aware of recent commentary about how best to recover lost learning time, with the idea of whether to pause or repeat this academic year being suggested, albeit that although it may be of benefit to some children or young people, such a blanket proposal may not be a solution, what contingencies are in place for parents who feel that it is in their child’s best interests to repeat the year. (AQT 1004/17-22)

43:47 - Topical Question 5 - Mr Catney asked the Minister of Education, given that he will be aware of the huge increase in the number of children and young people who have had to be placed in care, with my Education Committee colleague Justin McNulty confirming the number at 178 children, what plans he will put in place to support young people and their families now and within his COVID recovery plan. (AQT 1005/17-22)