Latest releases
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23 releases
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Durkan: Education Minister must value role of classroom assistants
SDLP Foyle MLA Mark H Durkan says Education Minister Paul Givan should give classroom assistants proper respect, ahead of an SDLP Opposition Day motion on Monday. He criticises proposed reforms, especially around special educational needs, and calls for scrutiny of the Executive.
Education Disability and equality Issue: Classroom assistant reforms proposed by Education Minister Paul Givan Original release: Durkan: Education Minister must value role of classroom assistants (opens in a new tab)
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Givan welcomes approval of Ministerial Direction on Teachers’ Pay
Education Minister Paul Givan welcomes First Minister and deputy First Minister approval of his Ministerial Direction for the 2025–26 teachers' pay award, reached through the Urgent Decision procedure. He says the wider Education Department financial pressure, including a projected deficit of…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Executive approval of Ministerial Direction on 2025/26 teachers' pay offer Original release: Givan welcomes approval of Ministerial Direction on Teachers’ Pay (opens in a new tab)
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Givan welcomes agreement on teachers’ pay
Education Minister Paul Givan welcomes the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council's acceptance of a 5.5% teachers' pay offer, which he says ends industrial action. He also announces an independent workload review panel reporting by November 2025.
Education Economy and employment Issue: NITC acceptance of 5.5% teachers' pay offer Original release: Givan welcomes agreement on teachers’ pay (opens in a new tab)
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Classroom Assistants deserve proper recognition and support, says Alliance Education representatives.
Alliance MLAs Nick Mathison and Michelle Guy call on the Education Minister to set out a clear plan to support, develop and reward Classroom Assistants, following an Ulster University report into the workforce. They raise concerns about temporary recruitment and incomplete Access NI checks.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Ulster University report on Classroom Assistants in Northern Ireland Original release: Classroom Assistants deserve proper recognition and support, says Alliance Education representatives. (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister disappointed by unions pre-emptive action on…
The DUP's Education Minister Paul Givan says he is disappointed that several teachers' unions plan to ballot members for strike action over 2024/25 pay. He points to the earlier settlement that ended the 2021-24 dispute and says any pay award must be affordable amid current financial pressures.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teachers' unions ballot over 2024/25 pay announcement Original release: Education Minister disappointed by unions pre-emptive action on… (opens in a new tab)
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Sheehan expresses solidarity with striking education staff
Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan expresses solidarity with striking educational support staff seeking fair pay, and blames British government underfunding of public services for preventing the pay they deserve. He calls for an end to underfunding and commends the finance minister for pressing the Treasury.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Educational support staff strike over pay Original release: Sheehan expresses solidarity with striking education staff (opens in a new tab)
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Egan and Mathison welcome fair employment legislation for teachers coming into operation
Alliance's Connie Egan and Nick Mathison welcome the start of operation of fair employment legislation covering teachers, which ends their exclusion and bars recruitment discrimination on grounds of religion across Northern Ireland.
Disability and equality Education Issue: Fair employment legislation for teachers comes into operation Original release: Egan and Mathison welcome fair employment legislation for teachers coming into operation (opens in a new tab)
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Finance Minister must provide urgent update following strike announcement, says Mathison
Alliance's Nick Mathison MLA, Chair of the Assembly's Education Committee, calls on the Finance Minister to urgently update on efforts to secure Treasury funding for a non-teaching school staff pay and grading review, to pause planned strikes in May and June.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Non-teaching school staff strike announcement over pay and grading review Original release: Finance Minister must provide urgent update following strike announcement, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Hunter urges Executive to deliver for school support staff
Education Economy and employment Original release: Hunter urges Executive to deliver for school support staff (opens in a new tab)
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Disappointing to see non-teaching staff overlooked, says Mathison after resources not found for pay and grading review
Alliance's education spokesperson Nick Mathison, MLA for Strangford, says it is disappointing that the Finance Minister has not allocated funding for the pay and grading review affecting non-teaching school staff. He argues the money is needed for special schools and urges the Education Minister…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Budget omits funding for non-teaching staff pay and grading review Original release: Disappointing to see non-teaching staff overlooked, says Mathison after resources not found for pay and grading review (opens in a new tab)
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Education Minister welcomes agreement on teachers’ pay
The DUP welcomes Education Minister Paul Givan's announcement that five teaching unions have accepted a formal pay offer for 2021 to 2023, lifting starting salaries to £30,000 and ending industrial action. Givan also says he has bid for c.£180m for support staff grading.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teaching unions accept Department of Education pay offer Original release: Education Minister welcomes agreement on teachers’ pay (opens in a new tab)
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Minister tells INTO conference resolution of industrial action is…
Education Minister Paul Givan tells the INTO Northern Conference that resolving ongoing industrial action in schools is critical, saying teachers should receive a pay award after three years without one. He says he will seek additional capital resources from the Executive's 2024-25 budget.
Education Economy and employment Original release: Minister tells INTO conference resolution of industrial action is… (opens in a new tab)
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“Teacher Shortage Crisis a direct result of Government Housing Failures” – Chris MacManus MEP
Sinn Féin MEP Chris MacManus says teacher shortages are linked to the housing crisis and calls on the Irish Government to acknowledge this and act quickly, citing a survey finding over 800 vacant teaching posts and Special Education Teachers redeployed to mainstream classes.
Education Housing Issue: INTO, IPPN and CSMA teacher vacancy survey findings Original release: “Teacher Shortage Crisis a direct result of Government Housing Failures” – Chris MacManus MEP (opens in a new tab)
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Non-teaching staff cannot be overlooked, says Mathison as pay dispute continues
Alliance spokesperson Nick Mathison says non-teaching school staff cannot be overlooked and urges delivery of their delayed pay and grading review. He says Alliance has sought an urgent update from the Finance Department on the business case and wants strike action avoided in 2024.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Non-teaching school staff pay and grading review industrial action Original release: Non-teaching staff cannot be overlooked, says Mathison as pay dispute continues (opens in a new tab)
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Standing in Solidarity: Addressing the Impact of Political Stalemate on Public Sector Workers - Butler
Robbie Butler MLA, UUP deputy leader and education spokesperson, says public‑sector staff will strike this Thursday and the UUP will join picket lines, blaming the two‑year absence of an Executive and the DUP’s Stormont boycott for the stalemate that threatens children’s education and welfare.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Thursday public sector strike 2024 Original release: Standing in Solidarity: Addressing the Impact of Political Stalemate on Public Sector Workers - Butler (opens in a new tab)
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Lack of needs-based funding at heart of industrial action: Dodds
DUP Education Spokesperson Diane Dodds says the lack of needs‑based funding in Northern Ireland is why education staff have missed pay rises for three years and why the Education Authority faces a £200 million overspend, and calls for sustainable funding to ensure fair pay.
Education Public finance and taxation Issue: Education Authority £200 million overspend forecast Original release: Lack of needs-based funding at heart of industrial action: Dodds (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher Strikes Across The North
People Before Profit commends teachers for striking over pay and school funding, calls for coordinated strikes across public and private sectors, and blames Tory budget cuts and Stormont's pay decisions for the dispute.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher strike action across Northern Ireland, November 2023 Original release: Teacher Strikes Across The North (opens in a new tab)
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Non-teaching staff deserve fair pay and employment terms - Allen
UUP Communities spokesperson Andy Allen MBE MLA calls on EA and the Westminster government to resolve the non-teaching staff pay dispute, and has written to the Secretary of State urging funding be allocated now rather than awaiting restoration of Stormont.
Education Economy and employment Issue: School support staff strike over pay on 16 November 2023 Original release: Non-teaching staff deserve fair pay and employment terms - Allen (opens in a new tab)
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Dodds – “school pay inequality cannot be sustained”
DUP education spokesperson Diane Dodds MLA says school support staff deserve a fair, timely pay award ahead of a strike on 16 November. She blames chronic underfunding and the Treasury funding model and calls on the UK Government to act urgently.
Education Public finance and taxation Issue: School support staff strike over pay on 16 November 2023 Original release: Dodds – “school pay inequality cannot be sustained” (opens in a new tab)
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McCrossan: Teachers won’t wait forever for pay rise
SDLP Education Spokesperson Daniel McCrossan says teachers in the North are being driven out of the profession and abroad after England's teachers were awarded a pay rise but those in the North were not. He calls for a fair pay increase and says the SDLP will press for one in any restored Assembly.
Education Economy and employment Issue: England teachers pay rise without Barnett consequential for Northern Ireland Original release: McCrossan: Teachers won’t wait forever for pay rise (opens in a new tab)