To ask the Minister of Education to detail the age at which a young person must leave a Moderate Learning Disability school; and whether this is consistent across all Education Authority regions.

It is recognised that once a pupil commences a special school, he/she tends to access this provision until they are 16 years; in other cases, the placement is extended to 19 years. MLD schools, in the main, provide education up to age 16.

For some MLD schools, development proposals put forward by the Education Authority have been approved by me to extend the age at which pupils can attend these schools.

The member will be aware that I recently commissioned the EA to prepare, publish and consult on a regional area plan for Special Schools, following publication of the Review of Special School Provision report on 3 November 2015. The EA recognises that enhanced consistency with regard to post-16 provision in special schools will require redress by the Authority as part of this regional area plan.