Latest news with #PaulGivan
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
‘We are a safe place,' declares Ballymena school named by DUP Minister in debate over absenteeism after riots
St Patrick's College, a Catholic maintained post-primary, was mentioned alongside Harryville Primary School by Education Minister Paul Givan when addressing the impact of the racially motivated riots in the town. St Patrick's is on the opposite side of the town from where the rioting happened. 'It is outrageous that, over the past week, we have been dealing with children who have come into school traumatised, showing all the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened on our streets,' the minister told MLAs. 'Alarmingly, we have also been dealing with children who engaged in the rioting and attacked the houses of children who are in their class. 'It is an appalling and complicated situation that requires intervention. My team has engaged with a number of schools as a result of the picture that we have had to deal with. We have engaged the Education Authority's emotional health and well-being unit and its intercultural education service to try to provide support for those schools. 'Last week, at a number of schools, including Harryville and St Patrick's Primary Schools (sic) in Ballymena, attendance has been less than half of the school. That is a clear problem, complicated by the fact that we are dealing with children in both schools who were engaged in the trouble and children in both schools who were the victims of it. It requires a concerted effort. My team and I are very much engaged in trying to provide that support.' PSNI say Portadown riots had 'more co-ordination' as mutual aid to be deployed this weekend The minister later added: 'There is a recording of absenteeism that occurred as a result of what happened last week. I have the precise figures for the schools in the Ballymena area. 'For example, 84 newcomer children in Harryville Primary School have not been at school. 'The figures for St Patrick's College show that attendance levels are sitting at around 65%. 'We therefore have that information. It will drive the interventions that we feel are necessary in order to provide support to those schools. We have that information about not only Ballymena but other areas. We will certainly use it to inform the approaches that need to be taken to provide support to schools.' A statement from the principal Paul Fitzpatrick and governors at St Patrick's College said: 'St Patrick's College, Ballymena would like to reassure all of our pupils and parents/guardians that this school will continue to be a safe place for them to learn in and in which they can develop as young people. 'As always, our staff will continue to work hard for the education and pastoral support of all of our young people.' Mr Givan said his department is engaging with schools in the area. 'There are only a couple of weeks left in this academic year, and it has been flagged up that that support will be available in September when the schools return after the summer break,' he said. PSNI chief warns rioters 'we will arrest you' Meanwhile, the principal of a south Belfast primary school has said at least three families who had children attending her school have now left Northern Ireland. Hilary Cunningham, principal at Fane Street PS, which has one of the most diverse cohorts of pupils in Northern Ireland, said schools are too often left to pick up the pieces after violence and intimidation. 'Last year, we had a family whose front door was burnt, we also had another family who has been intimidated quite recently,' she told BBC News NI. 'Young lads standing outside the front door waiting for them when they come back in, and this is a woman on her own with two children, two young girls. 'We've actually got three families that have gone to other countries because they are so frightened to stay, and another little child from nursery who wouldn't come into school because the family were afraid to travel to school,' she said. 'It is very difficult to deal with but we just support them as much as we can.'
ITV News
4 days ago
- ITV News
Children's Commissoner warns young people getting caught up in violence 'could impact their future'
Northern Ireland's Children's Commissoner is warning young people that getting caught up in violence could have a devastating impact on their futures. Responding for the first time to last week's disorder Chris Quinn described the behaviour of young people as "frightening". This comes as the Education Minister revealed on Monday that absence rates at schools closest to the disorder in Ballymena spiked following the violence in the town last week. This follows disorder which started in Ballymena last Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a girl in the town last weekend. Two 14-year-old Romanian boys have been charged with attempted rape. A peaceful protest on Monday evening about the alleged assault was followed by attacks on police and properties housing ethnic minorities. The disturbances in the Co Antrim town continued for several nights and spread to other areas of Northern Ireland including Portadown, Larne, Belfast, Carrickfergus, Londonderry and Coleraine. Scores of people were arrested. To date, over 30 arrests have been made by police investigating disorder in Northern Ireland, the age of those taking part as young as 12. The Education Minister said it was alarming that some school children had been attacking homes of their peers during the disorder. Paul Givan said 84 newcomer children at Harryville Primary School have not been attending, while attendance is at around 65% at St Patrick's College. Speaking in Mr Givan said: "Over the past week we have been dealing with children who have been coming into school traumatized, showing all of the signs of trauma as a result of what has happened in our streets. But alarmingly, we're also dealing with some children who engaged in the rioting and attacked some of the school, houses of the very children in their class." In a statement St Patricks College said: "It would like to reassure all pupils and parents that the school will continue to be a safe place." They added, "Staff will continue to work hard for the education and pastoral support for all young people." UTV have contacted Harryville primary school for a response but they did not want to make a Ireland's Children's Commissioner Chris Quinn has condemned any young people taking part in violence and had this message: "I would urge children to stay away, we're entering into a summer period which can be challenging, and that has been the case here for a long time. "I've seen for many years how children and young people get caught up on that so I would urge them to stay away."There's lots of misinformation out there at the minute." He continued, "I would urge them to question that information and think about the sources of it, because I do believe they're getting coerced and manipulated and driven by misinformation and disinformation." As the investigation continues into finding those responsible, the PSNI has once again urged young people to stay away from violence or risk ending up with a criminal record. Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
Belfast principal says families 'too frightened' to remain in NI
Some families from areas relatively unaffected by recent riots are still too frightened to remain in Northern is according to a principal from south Belfast who told BBC News NI three families of pupils have left due to fear of the Cunningham is the principal of Fane Street Primary, one of the most diverse in Northern Ireland.A number of families of pupils from the school were affected by previous riots after an anti-immigration protest in Belfast in 2024. The Education Minister Paul Givan has said the number of pupils missing school has spiked near to where people rioted for several nights in also told MLAs on Monday that some schoolchildren had attacked the homes of their own named two schools, Harryville Primary and St Patrick's College in Ballymena, where he said rates of absence were particularly Cunningham told BBC News NI that she felt for schools in Ballymena and that schools often had to "pick up the pieces" for pupils and families."I think it's going to be very, very difficult for them to pick up the pieces, particularly as a number of families are so fearful that they've actually fled, so actually knowing whether those children are even going to come back, what they're going to come back to," she said."Are they going to have a home to come back to? It's a big, big issue for those schools." Pupils faced 'violence and intimidation' Fane Street has employed a family support worker to help families, and also paid for a nurture room, so pupils can take time to get extra support if they need school was one of the first in Northern Ireland to be named a School of Sanctuary, which is one that provides significant additional support to pupils, including refugees and others who need a place of Cunningham said some families of her pupils had faced violence and intimidation."Last year we had a family whose front door was burnt, we also had another family who has been intimidated quite recently," she said."Young lads standing outside the front door waiting for them when they come back in, and this is a woman on her own with two children, two young girls.""So it's reassuring them, making sure that they're ok, that they know that not everybody is out to intimidate them, that we support them in any way that we possibly can." Families leaving NI following riots Despite the fact that the recent rioting has been concentrated in Ballymena, Portadown and Londonderry Ms Cunningham said some families of her pupils were too frightened to stay in Northern Ireland."We've actually got three families that have gone to other countries because they are so frightened to stay and another little child from nursery who wouldn't come into school because the family were afraid to travel to school," she said."It is very difficult to deal with but we just support them as much as we can."Police say 31 arrests have been made to date in relation to the recent racially-motivated disorder, with 23 people charged with various offences.
BBC News
5 days ago
- Politics
- BBC News
NI riots: Ballymena school absence rates spike in the wake of violence
The rate of pupils missing school has spiked near to where people rioted for several nights in Ballymena, the education minister has said. Paul Givan said 84 new pupils at Harryville Primary School have not been attending class since and only 65% of pupils at St Patrick's have been in who was answering questions in the Northern Ireland Assembly on Monday, said it is "outrageous" that over the last week children have been traumatised as a result of what has been also said "alarmingly we're also dealing with some children who engaged in the rioting and attacked some of the houses of the very children in their class". "So this is an appalling situation, one which is complicated and requires intervention," he added. There were several nights of violence in towns across Northern Ireland last week, after rioting first broke out in Ballymena, County Antrim, last came after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the that day, two teenage boys appeared in court accused of sexually assaulting a teenage girl. They spoke through an interpreter in Romanian to confirm their names and the peaceful protest, rioting broke out that was later described by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as "racist thuggery". Violence also erupted in other towns, including Larne, Londonderry, Belfast and Portadown, on subsequent PSNI have said 29 people have been arrested with 21 charged. In total, 64 police officers have been injured. Givan was speaking in the assembly in response to a question from the Leader of the Opposition, the Social Democratic and Labour Party's (SDLP's) Matthew O'Toole, who asked what was being done for children caught up in the said it was alarming that there were cases in which some children were rioting and attacking the houses of classmates. Givan said his department is engaged with a "number of schools", the "emotional wellbeing unit within the Education Authority" and "intercultural services to try and provide support". He told the assembly both Harryville Primary School and St Patrick's in Ballymena have seen absence rates spike. Givan added that this was a "clear problem" that was complicated by the fact that children in both schools were both engaged in the disorder and also the victims of it. "It's one that does require concerted effort," he said, telling O'Toole that he and his team were engaged in trying to provide that support. "I take a very simple view," he said."There is a time and a place to debate immigration policy, but whenever you are in Northern Ireland, and particularly whenever you are a child in Northern Ireland from whatever background, you have to be treated with respect, you have to be supported and you need to be protected."That has not been the case over the past week, and that is wrong, and I absolutely condemn what has happened in respect of these particular issues." Givan said he will do "all that I can" to support children in Northern Ireland that need that support.
North Wales Chronicle
5 days ago
- Politics
- North Wales Chronicle
Absence rates spike at schools closest to Ballymena disorder
Paul Givan said 84 newcomer children at Harryville Primary School have not been attending, while attendance is at around 65% at St Patrick's College. Violent scenes broke out in Ballymena last Monday after an alleged sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl at the weekend. Following a peaceful protest, there were attacks on the homes of some residents – as well as rioting. Mr Givan was speaking during questions for his department in the Assembly on Monday, in response to being asked by Opposition leader Matthew O'Toole what is being done for children caught up in the disorder. Mr Givan said is it 'outrageous' that over the last week children have been coming into school traumatised as a result of what has been happening. 'Alarmingly, we're also dealing with some children who engaged in the rioting and attacked some of the houses of the very children in their class,' he said. 'So this is an appalling situation, one which is complicated and requires intervention. 'My team have been engaged with a number of schools as a result of the picture that we have had to deal with. We have engaged the emotional wellbeing unit within the Education Authority, the intercultural services and try and provide support for these schools.' He said Harryville Primary School and St Patrick's Primary School in Ballymena had seen absence at half of the school. 'That is a clear problem, but it's also complicated by the fact that we are dealing with children in both schools that were engaged in this trouble and children in both schools that were the victims of that trouble, and it's one that does require concerted effort, and to assure the member I and my team are very much engaged in trying to provide that support,' he said. He added: 'I've been hugely impressed as I go around schools where I see the many different newcomers within controlled schools, Catholic maintained schools, integrated schools, and the work that goes on by the school leaders and the teachers to ensure that there is an inclusive environment where diversity is respected and indeed celebrated. 'Our schools have often been the safe haven within their communities where outside of the school walls, there have been challenges. 'What has happened in a number of these schools I find particularly alarming, and that is why there needs to be support and my team at senior levels have been engaging in respect all of this. 'I take a very simple view – there is a time and a place to debate immigration policy, but whenever you are in Northern Ireland, and particularly whenever you are a child in Northern Ireland from whatever background, you have to be treated with respect, you have to be supported, and you need to be protected, and that has not been the case over the past week, and that is wrong, and I absolutely condemn what has happened in respect of these particular issues. 'I will do all that I can to support those within our school environments that need that support.' Mr Givan went on to say that his own family supported a family from Ukraine, with three children staying with his parents in Co Armagh. 'They went to schools that went out of their way to make them feel welcome, and they regard Northern Ireland as their home and they will be here for many years to come, and they should be welcome here in Northern Ireland,' he added.
