AQW 1971/17-22

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 12/02/2020
Answered On Date: 25/02/2020
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) how child survey results carried out within schools are audited; (ii) what protection exists from later alteration; and (iii) what legislation currently applies to this.

Answer:

Statisticians in the Department’s Analytical Survey Unit (ASU) are responsible for collecting, processing and validating a wide range of data from schools and publishing the results of these data collections in statistical bulletins. These statistics are designated as ‘Official Statistics’ or ‘National Statistics’ which means they are produced in compliance with the pillars, principles and practices set out in the UK Statistics Authority’s Code of Practice for Statistics. Compliance with the Code gives users of statistics and citizens confidence that published government statistics are of public value, are high quality and are produced by people and organisations that are worthy of trust.

The Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) is the regulatory arm of the UK Statistics Authority. The OSR provide independent regulation of all official statistics produced in the UK. They set the standards in the Code of Practice for Statistics that producers of government statistics must meet and they ensure that they uphold these standards by conducting assessments against the Code. Those which meet the standards are given National Statistics status, indicating that they meet the highest standards of trustworthiness, quality and value.

As well as complying with the Code of Practice for Statistics, all of the Department’s Official and National Statistics are produced and published in accordance with specified Departmental statistical statements and policies. One of these is a Revisions policy which sets out the intention to be open and transparent about any revisions made to Official or National Statistics and to ensure that users of statistics have easy access to comprehensive information about those revisions. The Revisions policy is available at

https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Revisions%20policy.pdf

The official authority of DE is contained in the legislation referenced below:

The Education and Libraries (NI) Order 2003 Article 37 provides that the Education Authority (EA) (formerly Education and Library Boards) and schools shall make such reports and returns and give such information to the Department as the Department may reasonably require for the purposes of its functions under any statutory provision.

The statutory provisions providing the duties of the Department are contained in the Education Reform (NI) Order 1989. Article 3b places a duty on the Department to promote the education of the people of Northern Ireland and secure the effective execution by EA (former ELBs) and other bodies of the Department’s policy in relation to the provision of the education service.

It shall be the duty of the Department -

(a) to promote the education of the people of Northern Ireland;

(b) to secure the effective execution by boards and other bodies on which or persons on whom powers are conferred or duties imposed under the Education Orders of the Department's policy in relation to the provision of the education service.