To ask the Minister of Education how he is ensuring transparency and accountability in the Education Authority’s decision-making process in relation to Published Admission Number allocations.

The Education Authority (EA), in cooperation with the EA Pre-School Education Group (EA PEG), is responsible for setting Pupil Allocation Numbers for non-statutory pre-school settings; my Department plays no role in this process.

The EA wrote to providers on 7 February to set out the process for the allocation of initial PANs, as well as the process for reviewing those allocations. A copy of this letter was previously placed in the Assembly Library in response to AQW 24601/22-27. This process does include specific consideration of rural pre-school settings and those that are the sole provider in a locality.

Nonetheless, I have requested that the EA review the PAN allocation process so that opportunities for improvement can be identified and explored.