AQW 31390/22-27
Mr Nick Mathison
Alliance Party
Strangford
Tabled Date: 17/09/2025
Answered On Date: 22/10/2025
Priority Written: No
Question:
To ask the First Minister and deputy First Minister to detail who is responsible for the oversight of the Programme for Government commitment to improve pathways to appropriate opportunities and improve protections for young people with special educational needs when they leave school.
Answer:
The Department for the Economy is responsible for overseeing the Programme for Government commitment to improve pathways to appropriate opportunities and improve protections for young people with Special Educational Needs when they leave school. In June 2025, Minister Archibald set out her proposed programme of reform, subject to appropriate investment, to improve and expand the Department for the Economy funded pathways and support on those pathways for learners with special educational needs. Officials from the Department for Education, Department for the Economy, Department of Health and the Department for Communities continue to engage and collaborate to ensure that appropriate pathways are available and to ensure that young people with SEN are supported in the last years of school to prepare for the transition to adult life. The commitment aims to ensure clear pathways for further education, training, or employment for young people with SEN.
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