AQW 35021/22-27

Mrs Michelle Guy
Alliance Party
Lagan Valley

Tabled Date: 07/11/2025
Answered On Date: 18/11/2025
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of meetings officials from his Department have had regarding children missing in education.

Answer:

From the start of my tenure in February 2024 and in the month previous my officials in Tackling Educational Disadvantage Team hold a record of 9 meetings having taken place at which Children Missing Education was a topic for discussion. These are listed below.

06 October 2025 – DE/EA/NICCY Strategic Meeting - CME was an agenda item

26 August 2025 – Working Group Meeting to discuss Children Missing Education, DE / EA officials

04 March 2025 – Meeting between Minister & NICCY – briefing provided on CME.

19 February 2025 – Joint Health and Education Committee – briefing provided on CME.

17 February – Meeting between DE officials from TED Team and NISRA Team re CME

14 November 2024 – Meeting between TED Team and NISRA Team

06 November 2024 – Meeting between NISRA officials regarding data collection for CME

24 October 2024 – Working Group Meeting to discuss Children Missing Education, DE / EA officials.

January 2024 – DE Top Management Group – CME on the agenda for discussion

In addition, a further ten meetings have taken place involving officials responsible for Elective Home Education.

These meetings have involved external stakeholders, DE officials and in certain cases, colleagues in DfE England to hear about progress of the Children’s Wellbeing Act.