Givan welcomes introduction of Armed Forces Bill to Parliament
Date published:
Education Minister Paul Givan has welcomed the introduction of the Armed Forces Bill to Parliament.
The Armed Forces Covenant is a UK-wide pledge designed to ensure that members of the Armed Forces community are not disadvantaged when accessing public services.
Paul Givan said:
“This legislation represents an important step in reinforcing governmental commitment to the Armed Forces community and I am keen to ensure that my Department does all that it can to support implementation.
“I recognise that children from Armed Forces families often face unique challenges, such as frequent mobility, transitions between schools, and concerns around emotional wellbeing.
"These factors can disrupt continuity of learning and affect social integration for children of service personnel within the school environment. The Department, the Education Authority and schools have a responsibility to mitigate these disadvantages and provide appropriate support to ensure these children can thrive and reach their potential.”
The Department and Education Authority already provide a range of supports to children of service personnel including an additional funding premium which enables schools to provide flexible support to best meet the needs of this cohort of pupils.
The Minister continued:
“My Department will strive to strengthen engagement with schools which have significant numbers of children from Armed Forces families and explore the scope for additional support measures. It is also my intention to issue updated guidance to all schools.
“My Department will continue to collaborate with stakeholders to identify, promote, and implement effective strategies that support Armed Forces families and enhance educational outcomes for their children.”
Paul Givan concluded:
“Through continued collaboration, targeted interventions, and the sharing of best practice, the Department will work to create an inclusive and supportive environment where every child from an Armed Forces family is supported to achieve their full potential.”
Further details of actions being taken to support implementation are set out in a Written Ministerial Statement, which has been published on the Department of Education website at: https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/publications/written-ministerial-statement-introduction-armed-forces-bill-parliament.
Notes to editors:
1. The Armed Forces Covenant is a UK-wide pledge designed to ensure that members of the Armed Forces community are not disadvantaged when accessing public services. It places duties on public bodies requiring them to give due consideration to its principles in the exercise of their functions. The Armed Forces Act enshrined key parts of the Armed Forces Covenant into law, creating a statutory duty for these public bodies to have due regard to the Covenant principles; the new Bill will extend the Covenant principles.
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