To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) why the £11 million Engage Programme school restart funding was not made available to special school principals and pupils; and (ii) whether a full equality impact screening was completed before issuing this grant.

(i) Special schools are not included in the Engage programme as they don’t receive a delegated budget; rather their staffing complement is provided according to identified and individual pupil need, often with one to one or small group adult to child ratios.

I have asked officials to work with the Education Authority and Special Schools Principals to consider options for a similar model to the Engage programme, subject to securing funding, to help address the impact of school closures, in terms of lost learning, on children and young people with complex needs in Special Schools. A meeting of the working group is to take place in coming weeks.

(ii) The Engage programme was subject to an equality screening process and the policy was screened out. A copy of the screening document can be found on the Department’s website at:-

https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/education/Equality%20Screening%20-the%20Engage%20Programme%20%28August%202020%29.pdf