To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 13289/17-22, why the opening of special units attached to mainstream schools is an operational matter for the school, but the opening of special schools generally is not an operational matter for those schools.

As I announced in my statement to the Ad-Hoc Committee (6 January) the decision that all pre-school education settings and schools were to open from 8 January to accommodate supervised learning for children of key workers; and vulnerable children and young people and that Special Schools and EOTAS were to open for in-person provision of education, was taken by the Executive informed by judgements based on the scientific and public health advice available.

The operation of special units attached to mainstream will be determined by the School based on the number of children or young people attending for supervised learning and the resources available to the school. The Education Authority (EA) has advised schools that where there are a number of children attending from a Learning Support Class, the school should work to maintain their routine environment.

Special Schools are to provide in person learning and access to additional therapeutic interventions for their pupils and as such must work in conjunction with the EA and Allied Health Professionals to ensure that any operational matters that might prove a barrier to this are addressed.