- Written by Brendan Hughes
- BBC News NI political reporter
image source, Rebecca Black/PA
Minister for Education Paul Givan at Rathmore Grammar School in south Belfast
Stormont's new education minister has said he will meet with teachers' unions next week to discuss demands for better pay.
Paul Givan said he wanted to “close the gap” in pay between Northern Ireland school staff and their UK equivalents.
He was speaking while visiting a Catholic grammar school in Belfast.
This was the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) MP's first official cabinet role.
The UK government has offered funding to resolve pay disputes in the public sector, but Stormont insists more funding is needed.
Jivan said resolving the labor dispute is a top priority.
“Teachers and non-teachers alike need to be properly rewarded for the good work they do,” he said.
Asked whether there would be pay parity between Northern Ireland and the UK, he said: “Well, in terms of closing that gap, I would like to close that gap.”
school uniform cost
Mr Jivan said he would consider introducing legislation to curb the cost of school uniforms.
But he did not commit to introducing a cap, which the DUP said it would support in its 2022 parliamentary election manifesto.
“The uniform issue is something I want to move forward with,” he said.
“We will discuss with the authorities whether a legal solution is needed. We have always had very clear guidance regarding uniform policies that schools should consider.”
“However, it is clear that if the guidance is not being followed, other options need to be considered.”
“Culture war”
Jivan also said schools should not be used as venues for “culture wars” or “promoting political ideologies.”
He was speaking about the DUP campaign he supported at Westminster last year against changes introduced to Relationships and Sex Education (RSE) in Northern Ireland.
New regulations will require all primary schools in Northern Ireland to teach pupils about access to abortion and the prevention of early pregnancy.
Jivan said in a 2023 social media post that “radicals” were trying to use the changes to “advance woke policies.”
Jivan said Thursday that the measure “disrespects the decentralization settlement.”
He said the DUP's campaign against changes to the RSE was about “ensuring school environments do not become places where culture wars take place”.
“Everyone's Minister”
Mr Givan's first official visit as education minister was to Rathmore Grammar School, a Catholic school on the outskirts of west Belfast.
The DUP MP for Lagan Valley said: “I am sending a very clear statement that I am here to be a minister for everyone in Northern Ireland.”
On Wednesday, the new minister also expressed support for the special needs education (SEN) sector, saying children with special needs “should receive the same education as other children in mainstream education”.
But Mr Jivan told the BBC's Nolan Live program that the sector was facing “real pressure in terms of capacity”.
He said: “This year alone, the department has spent £30 million more than expected on emergency preparedness and capacity building.”
“And that number will continue to grow, but I'm not talking about hundreds of people.
“Over the next decade, the number of children with special needs is predicted to increase by thousands, posing significant challenges.”
More than 10,000 children received SEN benefits in Northern Ireland in 2022-2023, with figures showing an increasing trend in demand.
This means 853 additional student places are needed in special needs schools and 400 additional places in specialist classes within mainstream schools.
