Latest news with #educationguidance
BBC News
05-08-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Burke family confront NI education official over transgender guidance
Members of a high-profile evangelical Christian family confronted chairman of the Education Authority Mervyn Storey over gender identity issues at a County Antrim a video posted on Enoch Burke's social media, the family accused Mr Storey of "promoting transgender ideology" and "enforcing transgenderism in Northern Ireland" over an EA guidance Burke, a teacher from County Mayo, has been in a long-running court battle after he refused to use the pronouns preferred by a student transitioning to a different EA have said they are not commenting. The BBC has also approached Mr Storey for a response. In the video, Mr Burke's mother Martina and his brother Josiah attempted to speak to Mr Storey as he entered the Hebron Free Presbyterian Church in Storey did not speak to them, only saying "thank you" and "can you move out of my way?" as he entered the Burke family referred to an EA guidance document on supporting transgender young people. The first detailed guidance for schools in Northern Ireland on how to support transgender pupils was first published by the EA in to a definition in the guidance, transgender people "have a gender identity which differs from that of their (assigned) birth sex".However, earlier this year judges at the UK Supreme Court unanimously ruled that a woman is defined by biological sex under equalities Northern Ireland Equality Commission said they will seek a declaration from the High Court to address "uncertainties" over how to apply the law Education Minister Paul Givan has asked officials to ensure that his department is complying with the Supreme Court's ruling. The Burke family have made appearances at other high profile events, voicing their concerns about gender identity include a St Patrick's Day event involving the taoiseach (Irish PM) earlier this year, an election canvas by the then Taoiseach Simon Harris last year and a Church of Ireland synod in County Armagh also in 2024. Mr Burke has been repeatedly jailed for defying court orders to stay away from his former workplace, Wilson's Hospital School in County was first suspended from the school in August 2022 after a public confrontation with its principal over how he should address a transgender school sought a court injunction to keep him out of its grounds during his suspension and he was eventually sacked for gross Burke challenged his suspension and dismissal and continued to turn up to the school, despite facing large daily fines every time he breached the court of his family have been involved in several protests inside and outside Irish courts, arguing that he is being persecuted for his religious beliefs.
Sky News
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
Scotland's First Minister John Swinney defends new guidance on tackling pupil behaviour
Scotland's first minister has defended guidance issued to schools on how to deal with violent and aggressive behaviour from pupils amid criticism a stricter approach is required to "restore discipline". The Scottish government published new guidance earlier this week following calls from teachers for help to tackle the issue. In her foreword, Education Secretary Jenny Gilruth said that exclusion should only be used as a "last resort". The guidance aims to focus on improving outcomes by "reinforcing positive behaviour and working to reduce the likelihood of negative behaviour occurring in future". It comes after a survey by the NASUWT union in March found 83% of members believed pupil violence and aggression had increased in the last year. At First Minister's Questions on Thursday, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives said violent and disruptive behaviour in schools "is getting worse". MSP Russell Findlay added: "A small minority of pupils prevent the majority from learning in peace and in safety. "Some teachers feel unsafe. Many feel unsupported. The SNP's naive and weak approach fails absolutely everyone." The Scottish government said the new guidance had been developed with input from headteachers, teaching unions, local government and educational psychologists. Mr Findlay said it was "complicated and confusing", branding it "49 pages of tedious, hand-wringing nonsense". He also criticised some of the suggested measures, including giving "violent pupils laminated bullet points, telling them to think about their behaviour", and tackling unsafe behaviour by having "a conversation to jointly problem solve with the child". Mr Findlay added: "And it also says that disruptive pupils should be allowed to leave class two minutes early, which to me sounds like a reward rather than a punishment." The MSP said his party had "long argued that a stricter approach is necessary to restore discipline in schools" as he called on the first minister to empower teachers to be able to do so. He continued: "We believe in exclusions for violence because they protect staff and pupils, and because they work." In response, John Swinney agreed that disruptive behaviour in schools was the product of a "minority of pupils". But the first minister added: "I don't think for a moment that Mr Findlay's presentation of the guidance is in any way, shape or form representative of what is actually there." Mr Swinney argued the guidance had been designed to de-escalate and resolve situations to ensure the youngsters are well supported to "fulfil their potential". He explained: "Because if young people are unable to participate in their education, they are unlikely to go into good outcomes in our society, and we will simply repeat the difficulties that we've seen for many years of young people who do not go on to positive destinations." Mr Swinney said there had been 11,676 exclusions in 2022/23. Although lower than what was recorded in 2018/19, the first minister said "it is still a very high level of exclusion of young people from our schools". Mr Swinney pointed to a summit he recently hosted in an attempt to curb school violence, where he said none of the attendees pushed for increased exclusions. He said: "So, what we are getting from Russell Findlay today is a demonisation of young people and a failure to address the mechanisms and the interventions required to solve a difficult issue in our society." Mr Findlay - a former crime journalist - has repeatedly criticised the SNP's "soft touch justice regime" and in recent months raised the issue of organised crime gangs "grooming" vulnerable youngsters as they face a "reduced risk" of being jailed due to the nation's sentencing guidelines for under-25s. Mr Swinney said exclusions can have "negative consequences", explaining: "If a young person is excluded from school, they are not in the safe environment of school. "They are therefore likely to be out on the streets and therefore potentially able to become involved in some of the criminal activity that Mr Findlay himself has put to me within the last fortnight at First Minister's Questions as being a risk to which young people are exposed."
