AQW 2333/22-27

Mr John Blair
Alliance Party
South Antrim

Tabled Date: 29/06/2022
Answered On Date: 18/07/2022
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education what steps she is taking to support refugee children with special educational needs in Northern Ireland.

Answer:

My Department provides funding to schools with newcomer pupils and to the Education Authority’s Intercultural Education Service (IES) which supports schools, newcomer pupils and their families, including children from the Refugee community.

Asylum Seeker and Refugee (ASR) children and young people are eligible for school places and statutory assessment in the same way as all other pupils.

The IES provides advice, guidance and support to ASR families when contacted by their accommodation providers or support services. Where it is felt that a child’s special educational needs are such that they cannot effectively be met within the resources ordinarily available to a school, the EA may decide to conduct a Statutory Assessment as provided for within The Education (Northern Ireland) Order 1996.