To ask the Minister of Education, pursuant to AQW 6547/22-27, how his Department routinely engages with children and young people.

The Department uses a range of approaches to access the views of children and young people. This includes in-house surveys, focus groups, workshops, school visits, Education Authority Youth Service facilitated events and engagement with representative bodies such as the Secondary Schools Student Union of Northern Ireland and the Youth Assembly Education Committee.

There is also regular contact with children and young people’s advocacy organisations including the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People, the Childrens Law Centre, and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission.

The Department will continue to adopt a range of approaches to engage with children and young people.