Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he has taken to ensure the safety of children with allergies in schools. Minister of Education: It is vitally important that effective arrangements are in place to support children and young people with medical needs, including severe allergies and anaphylaxis, … Continue reading AQW 47871/22-27 – Safety of children with allergies in schools
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made of the role of nutritious school food in reducing health inequalities in areas with high levels of child poverty. Minister of Education: While I am aware of the important role played by school meals, both free and paid, … Continue reading AQW 48989/22-27 – Role of nutritious school food
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 47406/22-27, to detail the estimated annual cost of implementing the revised nutritional standards for school food, agreed following the departmental review in 2021. Minister of Education: The cost estimates made as part of the review of the nutritional standards for school … Continue reading AQW 48469/22-27 – Cost of revised nutritional standards for school food
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made of the potential impact of the use of Artificial Intelligence in schools on safeguarding. Minister of Education: Guidance on the use of Generative AI was issued to education professionals through DE Circular 2026/02 on 11 May 2026. This … Continue reading AQW 48470/22-27 – Use of Artificial Intelligence in schools
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made by his Department of the potential for Artificial Intelligence tools to improve access to educational support for children with special educational needs and disabilities in rural areas. Minister of Education: Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) is not a replacement … Continue reading AQW 48102/22-27 – Artificial Intelligence educational support
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education whether any assessment has been made by his Department of the impact of social media use on educational outcomes for children and young people. Minister of Education: The department has not undertaken a specific standalone assessment of the impact of social media use on … Continue reading AQW 48666/22-27 – Impact of social media use on educational outcomes
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he has taken to increase sign language fluency in schools. Minister of Education: Provision for sign language in education sits alongside wider arrangements to support children and young people with additional needs to access the curriculum and participate fully in … Continue reading AQW 47761/22-27 – Sign language fluency in schools
Mr Patsy McGlone (Mid Ulster): To ask the Minister of Education to detail any steps he is taking to help improve SEND provision in mainstream schools. Minister of Education: My department and the Education Authority (EA) are working intensively to improve special educational needs (SEN) provision in mainstream schools. Members are aware that I wrote … Continue reading AQW 44297/22-27 – Improving SEND provision in mainstream schools
Your MLA 