To ask the Minister for the Economy (i) what advice on COVID-19 was given to young people attending college and university; (ii) what, if any, advice has been provided regarding social distancing; and (iii) how any advice given was rationalised in the context of gatherings in classrooms.

In June 2020 my Department established an Advisory and Oversight Group (AOG) to work collaboratively with the Further Education (FE) Sector to prepare for the safe resumption of on-site educational delivery. The AOG developed the ‘Framework for the Safe Resumption of On-site Educational Provision and Related Activities in FE Colleges and Non-Statutory Contractors (NSCs)’ (the Framework Document) which was provided to FE colleges and published online. This document provides clear guidance about the responsibilities of providers to communicate with their learners and their parents/guardians/carers to e.g. outline safety measures in place in the colleges, reinforce the messaging about good hand and respiratory hygiene, provide instructions on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE),

promote the use of the StopCOVID NI App, and inform learners of what action to take if they are contacted by the Public Health Agency (PHA) Track and Trace procedures, and to outline any changes to the guidance or restrictions. The colleges have provided information to their learners through extended induction processes, and via email, text message, internet and intranet sites, and various social media platforms, as well as regular engagement with staff in their student unions.

With regards to the Universities, on 14 October 2020, the Executive announced a range of significant time-bound interventions to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Northern Ireland. This included advising that universities should deliver distance learning to the maximum extent possible, with only essential face-to-face learning where that is a necessary and unavoidable part of the course. Guidance has recently been published which encourages the continuation of this approach.

Coronavirus (COVID-19): student movement and plans for the new term | nidirect

This is in addition to Guidance on a range of issues including safety on campus and social distancing.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) advice for students in higher education | nidirect

(ii) what, if any, advice has been provided regarding social distancing

The Framework Document includes advice that two metres social distancing is required whilst on Further Education campuses. This has been based on clear and unequivocal advice from the PHA that two metres is the optimum distance required in FE colleges to protect staff, learners and public health. If staff and learners cannot maintain two metres separation, other mitigations to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19 must be implemented. The FE colleges have each included this advice in their

protocols and guidance to learners and staff, and have signage and posters in each campus.

Although Northern Ireland’s Universities are autonomous institutions the spread of COVID-19 is a public health issue, and the universities are expected to follow all public health guidance.

(iii) how any advice given was rationalised in the context of gatherings in classrooms

The Framework Document requires Further Education providers to configure their learning and non-learning environments to maintain two metres separation between staff, between learners and between learners and staff. Action taken has included the development of classroom management guides, risk assessments to determine classroom capacity and reconfiguration of classrooms and workshops and, where necessary, additional mitigations to comply with PHA and relevant industry guidance such as the use of permanent and non-permanent Perspex screens and the use of PPE in teaching environments for staff to reinforce social distancing.