Department of Education

The Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill requires that the 90,000 children in Northern Ireland in receipt of free schools meals receive financial help during the holidays, including summer, Christmas, Halloween and half-term breaks.

MLAs back holiday hunger Bill for 90,000 NI children which could cost £20m

Education Minister Paul Givan said he is “concerned” about the impact of the measures on families.

School meals ‘not a luxury’, watchdog warns, as prices set to increase

Budget ‘crucial and critical’ to Stormont finances, says minister

Teachers in Northern Ireland are to start industrial action over excessive workloads. Photo: PA Wire

Hammer out teacher deal before dispute hits children's educations: UUP

Teachers in Northern Ireland are to start industrial action over excessive workload

Northern Ireland teachers to start industrial action over excessive workload

From left, DUP Councillor Paul Rankin, Emma Little Pengelly MLA and Education Authority represenative Roger Sayers at the old Dromore Primary School.

Stakeholders to tour derelict Primary School with a view to community useage

New guidelines give girls the right to wear trousers in school – Givan

A consultation has been launched on plans which could ban mobile phones from schools in Northern Ireland.

Consultation launched on plans to ban mobile phones in schools

British soldiers survey damage in the aftermath of an IRA car bomb in Belfast on April 14, 1972; under the revamp of the curriculum, it has been warned that the Troubles will just be 'one bulletpoint among many' for history teachers to cram in amid a 'relentless charge through the centuries' (photo by Alex Bowie/Getty Images)

'Disbelief and outrage' among history teachers over planned revamp of curriculum

SEFF has engaged with the main sectors of education operating within Northern Ireland in a focused and collaborative way

Letter: Curriculum must stand by truth of the Troubles

Enoch Burke, former history and German teacher was dismissed from Wilson’s Hospital School in May after a lengthy dispute with the institution.

Enoch Burke owes 208,000 euro in fines for defying court orders

Education Minister Paul Givan says parental choice will take priority under new plans. Pic Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Givan says school funding reforms will boost parental choice

It’s the duty of the Department of Education to encourage and facilitate integrated schooling

Letter: DUP must do more to encourage integrated schools

The report found that demand for integrated education is present but uneven and that pressures are concentrated in a relatively small number of schools.

Demand for officially integrated schools ‘varies’ across NI – report

AI is to be deployed to cut teacher workloads (photo by BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)

Department for Education investing £10m in AI to cut teachers' workloads

Stormont's Education Minister Paul Givan

Statutory assessments planned for pupils from primary to Key Stage 3
Stormont’s Education Minister has published a policy framework to assess children from primary school through to Key Stage 3.
Claudia Savage, PA

There's not enough information about Northern Ireland school pupils below GCSE age to guarantee they're getting quality education, officials have concluded. Photo: arrowsmith2 - stock.adobe.com

No guarantee under-14s get quality schooling, and SEN checks undermined - report

Special school summer schemes will go ahead this year after public and political backlash to the announcement made earlier this week.

Special school summer schemes will go ahead following backlash

Thousands of people have responded to a public consultation on the future of GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications

Thousands give their view on future of qualifications

Finance Minister John O’Dowd said the reserve claim from the Treasury would be repaid over three years.

Extra £400m to support health and education in Northern Ireland

Small schools and places with too many empty desks will be in the firing line for closures and mergers in a five-year plan meant to cope with an education cash crisis. Photo: Ben Birchall/PA Wire

Scrap school closures and classroom assistant axe, calls teachers' union

School meals

Letter: Profit-making from school meals is wrong

Royal School Armagh was among those which had shut due to no heating (Google Maps)

'Substantial investment needed' as at least nine schools shut due to no heating

Colum Boyle, permanent secretary at the Department for Communities, who has been made a CBE in the New Year Honours list for public service. Photo: Department for Communities/PA Wire

Two senior Stormont civil servants recognised in honours list

No discrimination in schools funding scheme

No discrimination against catholics in schools funding scheme says judge

Finance Minister John O’Dowd

Stormont on course for £387m overspend, O’Dowd tells MLAs

Transforming Education

All change? The Impact of Fair Employment Legislation on Sectoral Patterns of Te...
The IEF welcomes the most recent Ulster University (UU) ‘Transforming Education’ briefing paper ‘All change? The Impact of Fair Employment Legislation on Sectoral Patterns of Teacher Deployment.’
Emma Hassard

MLAs have clashed with Department of Education officials over whether a new Bill will make school uniforms more affordable.

MLAs clash with officials on making school uniforms affordable

It is already a legal requirement that religious education in controlled schools is based upon the Holy Scriptures. Writing in today's News Letter in the wake of this week's Supreme Court ruling, education minister Paul Givan says he will not allow those who wish to drive out the Christian ethos from our schools to succeed

Paul Givan: Christian faith will continue to shape education in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Education Minister Paul Givan (left) stands with DUP leader Gavin Robinson ahead of a vote of no confidence on Monday. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Givan receives fresh invite to Israel - after attempts to oust him

Ronnie Armour being quizzed before the committee

DUP MLAs defend Paul Givan's trip to Israel as top civil servant grilled

Parents have complained about the cost and comfort of uniforms and branded PE kits.

Uniform costs: Schools issued new guidelines to keep price down

Gavin Robinson has hit out at criticism of the education minister's Israel trip. Photo: Liam McBurney/PA Wire

Robinson slams unions' 'loud and excitable screeching' on Israel visit

UUP MLA Steve Aiken and DUP education minister Paul Givan place a poppy wreath at the site of the Nova music festival terror attack in Israel.

Israel trip critics 'should acquaint themselves' with the truth - MLA

A screengrab from a video taken this week of the DUP's Paul Givan at the site of the Hamas terrorist attack on the Nova music festival in October 2023

Robinson defends Givan’s trip to Israel as the ‘right thing’ to do

Enoch Burke (left) with family members including his brother Isaac (right), mother Martina (second left) and father Sean (second right) at the High Court, Dublin today. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

School gets extra state funding to pay for security for Enoch Burke

Councillor Ron McDowell, TUV deputy leader, in a picture posted on Monday during his trip to Israel

Delegate to Israel hits back at NI unions over 'uninformed' criticism of trip

Image of Paul Givan visiting school in Jerusalem on October 27, 2025, from official Department of Education Twitter feed

DUP hits back at criticism of education minister Paul Givan over tour of Israel

Chief executive Richard Pengelly says the Education Authority is facing a funding shortfall of around £300 million

NI schools asked to take ‘any and all actions’ to reduce expenditure

Repair work starts at a primary school in Londonderry damaged in an arson attack in 2016

Northern Ireland schools have repair bill of 'up to £800m'

Children wearing dark clothing cannot be seen and cyclists or cars cannot always be seen by children or anyone who must go on the road to negotiate away round cars that are parked up on curbs.

Ursula Meighan Workers Party Representative has called on the Department of Educ...

Schools instructed to close as rain and strong winds arrive in Northern Ireland

Susan Smith (left) and Marion Calder, co-directors of For Women Scotland, celebrate outside the Supreme Court after a landmark legal victory over the Scottish government. Photo: Lucy North/PA Wire

Windsor Framework 'makes no difference' to Supreme Court ruling - FWS

Education Minister Paul Givan denied his speech was written with the aid of Artificial Intelligence.

Education Minister: AI speech accusation a cheap shot

All smiles in South London as the parkrun primary initiative was launched

junior parkrun’s new ‘parkrun primary’ initiative aiming to get Belfast children...

Screen grab a general view of the Stormont Education Committee on Wednesday September 10, 2025. PA Photo.

School inspection legislation ‘red flag to bull’

Group of international school students in school uniforms, sit on steps.

Education Minister urged to reveal legal advice on removing transgender guidance

Geraldine McGahey, Chief Commissioner at the Equality Commission says terms like 'men' and 'women' may have a different meaning in NI than GB.

Department of Education slams Equality Commission's 'improper' legal action

Education Minister Paul Givan has introduced a new policy for schools in light of a landmark court ruling on biological sex.

DUP minister introduces new sex-based schools policy - as trans guidance binned

The row relates to an attempt by Paul Givan to ban disruption of school inspections. Photo: David Young/PA Wire

Education officials say parents' IP addresses analysed to 'ensure transparency'

Six children with special educational needs (SEN) do not currently have a school place in Northern Ireland while another 100 may not be able to attend school full-time at the beginning of the new term.

Six children with SEN without school places

Demand for SEN places still exceeds supply

Number of SEN children at risk of no school place reduced to 50

Education Authority (EA) chief executive Richard Pengelly has now written to a number of schools

Schools may be instructed to set up SEN provision amid crisis over places

The Supreme Court has begun hearing an appeal on the legality of Religious Education in Northern Ireland schools.

Supreme Court hears appeal on school RE

BBC presenter Chris Packham says autistic people are not broken and do not need to be fixed.

Autism rates in Northern Ireland up fivefold in 16 years

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