AQW 35021/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of meetings officials from his Department have had regarding children missing in education.
Asked by Michelle Guy MLA on 7 November 2025
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 7 November 2025
- Answer due by
- 24 November 2025
- Answered
- 18 November 202511 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
From the start of my tenure in February 2024 and in the month previous my officials in Tackling Educational Disadvantage Team hold a record of 9 meetings having taken place at which Children Missing Education was a topic for discussion. These are listed below.
06 October 2025 – DE/EA/NICCY Strategic Meeting - CME was an agenda item
26 August 2025 – Working Group Meeting to discuss Children Missing Education, DE / EA officials
04 March 2025 – Meeting between Minister & NICCY – briefing provided on CME.
19 February 2025 – Joint Health and Education Committee – briefing provided on CME.
17 February – Meeting between DE officials from TED Team and NISRA Team re CME
14 November 2024 – Meeting between TED Team and NISRA Team
06 November 2024 – Meeting between NISRA officials regarding data collection for CME
24 October 2024 – Working Group Meeting to discuss Children Missing Education, DE / EA officials.
January 2024 – DE Top Management Group – CME on the agenda for discussion
In addition, a further ten meetings have taken place involving officials responsible for Elective Home Education.
These meetings have involved external stakeholders, DE officials and in certain cases, colleagues in DfE England to hear about progress of the Children’s Wellbeing Act.