To ask the Minister of Education to detail (i) any training courses available for classroom assistants; (ii) the number of places available on the training courses; and (iii) whether participants receive remuneration for accredited training courses.

The Education Authority has provided details of 68 training courses that are currently available to Classroom Assistants. I have deposited this information in the Assembly Library.

In addition to the Education Authority courses, as part of the delivery of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Reform Early Childhood intervention programme, 120 SEN-specific training places have been offered to assistants in pre-school and Foundation stage in 2025/26, with a further 240 places planned over the next 2 years.

Five Further Education colleges are engaged in delivering a range of accredited courses this academic year which are:

OCN NI Level 3 Award in Working with Children and Young People with Special Needs;

NCFE CACHE Level 3 Award in Supporting Children and Young People’s Speech, Language and Communication; and

OCN NI Level 2 Award in Learning Disability and Positive Support in Early Years.

Participants will receive a payment for attendance at and completion of the course, which is outside of contracted hours.

In October 2025, I also announced a new partnership with the Chartered College of Teaching, enabling both teachers and classroom assistants to access evidence-informed professional learning programmes. This partnership supports the TransformED Strategy commitment to helping education staff access and use research effectively and represents an important step in delivering on that commitment.

For 2025/26, funding has been made available for 100 classroom assistants to receive associate membership of the Chartered College and access to a range of tailored professional learning courses. This programme recognises the valuable contribution made by classroom assistants and supports their ongoing professional development as integral members of the school community.