Chris Lyttle
East Belfast · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“The Department for Communities, councils, the Department for the Economy, further education stakeholders, the Department of Health and the Department of Finance all responded with their perspectives on and experiences of the provision of free period products and with ways in which the Bill's provisions could be coordinated and funded.”
“That is an important start in support of the implementation of the provisions of the Bill. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee undertook Committee Stage scrutiny of this cross-cutting Bill — I am proud that we did — on behalf of other relevant subject Committees.”
“and fighting our corners in media studios. Perhaps the hosts of some of those programmes see fit to encourage that type of approach, but I am thankful for the level of cooperation between parties on the key issues and hope that that will be the legacy for the next Assembly.”
“Thank you, Deputy Speaker. I welcome the opportunity to move the Final Stage of the Fair Employment (School Teachers) Bill. It will remove the anachronistic exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO) and ensure that it is no longer possible for any teacher to be discriminated against because of their religio…”
“This opportunity has been made possible by a collective effort from many people, and I put on record my thanks to research officer Connie Egan and constituency officer Nick Mathison for the work that they contributed to the Bill's progress.”
“<BR /> <BR />I thank my Assembly colleagues without whom the Bill would not have progressed to this stage and would not pass. I thank Sinead for the role that she played as Chairperson of the Executive Office Committee and for the time that she made available to me outside of Bill stages and Committee meetings, which, as I said, made the…”
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“He legitimately raised the issue of the survey's limitations. Of course, all surveys will have limitations. The question is this: what has he and the Department of Education, with its sizeable resources when compared with those of the Education Committee, done to engage with parents, teachers, children and young people on the issue? <BR /> <BR />The Minister referenced, as did some of his colleagues, that 85% of respondents said that they will still sit the tests. He failed to acknowledge, however, that 46% of that 85% stated, in response to the survey, that they are doing so because they feel as though they have no other choice.”
“I wholeheartedly agree; indeed, the last of those reports investigating links between attainment and deprivation was commissioned by the joint Office of the First Minister and deputy First Minister. It clearly recommended reform of post-primary transfer, and, yet, delivery on that has not taken place. <BR /> <BR />I will now speak in my capacity as an Alliance MLA and turn to the contributions to the debate. I will start with the Minister of Education. He has accused some of us who have expressed concern on the issue of being opportunistic. That is disgraceful. Two thirds of 8,500 people have expressed legitimate and serious concerns on the matter.”
“<BR /> <BR />Regrettably, the collapse of the Executive for three years during this mandate has prevented the Education Committee from showing leadership on the issue and restarting its inquiry into the matter. The educational underachievement panel and independent review of education must therefore consider post-primary transfer reform and how we build an integrated education system to deliver equal educational opportunity for all.”
“OK. The Education Minister therefore ought to reflect on what the public rejection of that approach says about the decision-making to date on the matter. <BR /> <BR />There may be some variance of opinion in the Assembly on post-primary transfer testing in 2021 and in the future, although I think that there is more of a consensus here than some want to accept. The Education Committee online survey has, at the very least, demonstrated a serious concern for post-primary transfer testing this year, a need for further urgent consideration of the matter and a clear demand from parents and teachers for reform of post-primary transfer arrangements. The Education Minister's approach of doing nothing is clearly at odds with that demand.”
“I am happy to, if you do not take too long.”
“One of the clearest responses was the rejection of the decision supported by the Education Minister to delay the AQE and PPTC examinations until immediately after the two-week non-school-based Christmas break. The Education Minister —.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will begin by speaking as the Chairperson of the Education Committee. On behalf of the Committee, I thank the 8,500 respondents to our online post-primary transfer survey and the Education Minister and Assembly Members for contributing to this important debate. I pay tribute to the courage and public service of the teaching and non-teaching staff in schools across Northern Ireland. The Education Committee thanks you and will continue to support you. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee online survey and the motion are about the safe and fair post-primary transfer of thousands of 10- and 11-year-old children during this year's global public health pandemic. The responses to the survey merit close consideration.”
“He is targeting that at me without saying so and accusing me of intellectual dishonesty, which is an absolute disgrace, given the topic under discussion. <BR /> <BR />There are non-selective grammar schools in Northern Ireland. How does that square with what he says? This is not about schools; this is about educating children. For the avoidance of doubt, the Alliance Party is absolutely clear: we do not think that academic selection is fair or necessary. Can you move on to saying what the contingency plan is here rather than making bizarre attacks on me?”
“Law has been enacted in the Assembly during the COVID-19 crisis that has suspended statutory duties towards kids with special educational needs. Are you not the Minister of Education? Can you not change the law?”
“Straightforward question, Minister: how many of those devices have been provided to P7 pupils?”
“I thank the Minister of Justice for the attention that she has given to prison officer health and well-being. Does she agree that, whilst mental health must be addressed by all Executive Departments, the Department of Justice has a particular need to ensure support for staff who are performing some of the most challenging public roles in our community?”
“I thank the junior Minister for his response. Clear and imaginative communications are vital to encourage behavioural change and to protect life and livelihood from COVID-19. Have the Northern Ireland Executive employed behavioural change experts and/or considered employing local artists and high-profile people in Northern Ireland to help us with that important messaging?”
“DE circular 2016/15 advises all grant-aided schools on post-primary admissions and recommends categories such as free school meals, named primary schools, named areas, nearest suitable school and sibling at school as appropriate criteria. What has the Education Minister done to scope alternatives and with whom has he engaged on the matter? <BR /> <BR />Children deserve better and more from the Education Minister. The motion calls on the Minister of Education to outline an alternative contingency plan for post-primary transfer this year. I hope that he has one. I commend the motion to the House.”
“Of the parents, guardians and teachers surveyed, the highest-scoring preferred approach for post-primary transfer this year is not to sit the tests and to use non-academic admissions criteria instead. Furthermore, 43% of parents, guardians and teachers are of the opinion that post-primary transfer tests should be abolished. Given that tens of thousands of pupils have been in self-isolation since August, it is time for the Education Minister to provide full, open and transparent information on the extent of self-isolation rather than obfuscating behind codes and percentage figures. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister says that there are no alternative admissions criteria. Yet, his Department recommends alternative admissions criteria.”
“Yet, in that context, the Minister of Education remains adamant that it is safe, fair and appropriate for 10- and 11-year-old children to sit up to five examinations in January and February 2021. How, in that context, can it be safe or fair for the Education Minister to allow private transfer test providers to require 10- and 11-year-old children to sit up to five examinations in January and February for admission to a post-primary school during a public health pandemic when he can legislate otherwise and when 8,500 responses to an Education Committee survey include over 60% of parents, guardians and teachers saying that they are very or extremely concerned about children taking tests this year?”
“Teachers can differentiate their teaching approach to different aptitudes in a school without an archaic admissions system to differentiate pupils by school. That, however, is a wider debate about academic selection that the Assembly needs to have in an open and inclusive manner. It is my profound regret that the collapse of the Executive in 2017 stopped an inquiry into post-primary transfer that was initiated by the previous Education Committee. <BR /> <BR />The motion is about how we transfer thousands of 11-year-old children this year in the midst of a global public health pandemic that has claimed tens of thousands of lives on these islands and which has disrupted almost every aspect of our way of life. We have closed schools for months and cancelled some of the most important exams possible.”
“As I have already stated, the motivation for the survey, and the focus of the Assembly and the Minister of Education, must be the safety, well-being and equal educational opportunity of children. I ask the Education Minister to stop misrepresenting my integrity and advocacy on the matter as being an anti-grammar school campaign; it is not. It is unedifying and is not a serious response to a very serious matter. <BR /> <BR />There are non-selective grammar schools in Northern Ireland. My understanding is that a grammar education is an approach to education, not a system of admissions for education. It is possible to hold the opinion that academic selection is unfair and unnecessary as a system of post-primary admission and not be against academic or grammar approaches to education.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite the efforts of the Education Minister to facilitate private transfer testing of P7 children this year, including drafting a ministerial direction to the Education Authority (EA) and fast-tracking enhanced application and appeals processes, the Education Committee remains concerned at the lack of any concerted scoping of alternative arrangements for the post-primary transfer of children during a pandemic that is causing significant disruption to their education and to preparation for those examinations. The Committee therefore unanimously calls on the Education Minister to outline substantive contingency plans for this academic year. <BR /> <BR />I would like to add a few comments in my capacity as an Alliance MLA.”
“Approximately 6,500 respondents were parents and guardians, about half of whom are responsible for children in P6 or P7. Around 1,800 respondents were teachers, with about half teaching P6 or P7 pupils. Disappointingly, the Education Minister refused the Committee's request for the survey to be sent to all teachers in Northern Ireland via the C2k network. About 750 respondents were children or young people, of whom three quarters indicated that they were entering P7. <BR /> <BR />I will say more about the findings of the survey when I speak in my capacity as an MLA. Some of its key feedback, however, was that a majority of the parents and teachers surveyed were very or extremely concerned about children sitting transfer tests further to a period of significant disruption.”
“In these extraordinary circumstances, the Education Committee engaged with the AQE and the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) — the providers of the private tests — wrote to every selective school in Northern Ireland and consistently questioned the Education Minister on what contingency plans were being put in place for post-primary transfer this year. <BR /> <BR />The response, or lack thereof, that the Education Committee received was concerning. We therefore sought to engage more widely with parents, guardians, teachers, children and young people via the online post-primary transfer survey. The survey was unanimously agreed by DUP, Sinn Féin, SDLP, UUP and Alliance Party members of the Education Committee, with the assistance of the Assembly Engagement team. The survey was completed by over 8,500 people.”
“The closure of schools and significant disruption to education across Northern Ireland from March to June 2020 led to the replacement of GCSE, AS and A-level examinations with centre-assessed grading and, crucially, prevented school-based preparation for post-primary transfer testing. <BR /> <BR />At that time, the post-primary transfer tests in question were scheduled to take place about now. The first Association for Quality Education (AQE) common entrance exam should have been taking place this Saturday, in the middle of a four-week COVID-19 circuit breaker.”
“I begin in my capacity as Chairperson of the Education Committee, in which I moved the motion on behalf of the Education Committee. The motion calls on the Assembly to take note of the findings of the Education Committee's online survey into post-primary transfer testing and on the Education Minister to outline contingency plans for post-primary transfer tests this year. <BR /> <BR />The motivation for the Education Committee survey, which was agreed by all main parties and is the focus of today's motion, is the safety, well-being and opportunity for equal education of children in Northern Ireland during a public health pandemic: a pandemic that has taken life and livelihood across Northern Ireland and caused the Northern Ireland Executive to take extraordinary approaches to almost every aspect of society.”
“Does the Health Minister accept that a failure to establish adequate backward-tracing capacity in the test-and-trace system costs Northern Ireland increased transmission and infection?”
“What contingency plan is in place for children who are unable to sit transfer tests due to a COVID-19-related absence?”
“In my position as an Alliance MLA, I draw to the Finance Minister's attention reports that funding from the Department of Education Engage programme has been used to procure access to private transfer test tutoring or tutoring applications for some pupils in Northern Ireland. Will the Minister and his Executive colleagues ensure that there is an assessment of the appropriateness of the use of that Executive-provided public fund? <BR /> <BR />It is unacceptably clear that the structure and financing of our education system is in crisis. I ask the Finance Minister that, in addition to financial support for education, he supports the urgent establishment of the independent review of education to inform the transformation that we need to deliver equal educational opportunity for all children and young people.”
“The Department of Education has advised that there is uncertainty around spending on the Strule project. Will he confirm whether the Treasury has agreed to allow the Executive to access all of the significant unspent Fresh Start money and to profile it over the next few years?”
“That spending, as well as known pressures and obligations relating to New Decade, New Approach, including teachers' pay, which we welcome, appears to have driven the Department of Education's budget from around £2·1 billion in 2014-15 to £2·67 billion in the 2020-21 Main Estimates. <BR /> <BR />The Main Estimates also include references to capital spending. The COVID lockdown may well have had an adverse impact on the Education Department's capital spending programme for this year, so perhaps the Minister will indicate in his response whether he believes that capital spending on new school builds and on other works will resume in this financial year. <BR /> <BR />Perhaps the Minister will also clarify the position on Fresh Start capital.”
“<BR /> <BR />The extra-large Vote on Account for Education was deemed necessary to cover a significant number of additional pressures, including the provision of free school meals payments and support schemes for childcare provision. The first of those was, regrettably, poorly delivered, but the second, thankfully, was more successful. There was also a scheme to support substitute teachers. <BR /> <BR />The Department of Education has advised that the cost of restarting education in schools will be just over £100 million in the current financial year and that it sought £57 million and received £42 million for the autumn term. The additional funding will include £12 million for PPE, £6 million for school cleaning, £12 million for substitute teacher cover and £3·3 million for blended learning in schools.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak as the Chairperson of the Education Committee. I will also take this opportunity to pay tribute to and thank teaching and non-teaching staff across Northern Ireland for the innovative and courageous way in which they have responded to the pandemic. <BR /> <BR />As the Minister indicated, the debate would, ordinarily, happen in June and the balancing amounts would be expected to be a lot higher. Instead, due to the COVID crisis, the Executive sought and secured an additional and larger Vote on Account in May. Those changes were necessary, but they make it difficult for Committees to track the financial progress of their respective Departments.”
“Our health, our economy, our education and our well-being rely on everyone in our community complying with the guidance. It is a stark wake-up call to everyone in the community that we must comply with the guidance to protect life and livelihood. <BR /> <BR />Will formal childcare and school-based childcare remain open? What evidence led to a ban on youth sports rather than on spectators gathering at youth sports?”
“I thank the First Minister for her update. How concerned is she about the alarming increase in COVID cases in Northern Ireland, which has seen seven deaths being recorded since yesterday as well as 23 ICU admissions, 15 people on ventilators, the overwhelming of our contact tracing system and regrettably now, it appears, cancellation of elective surgery in Belfast? What decisive action will the Executive Office take to arrest that situation?”
“Why did Sinn Féin and the DUP opposed delivery of the New Decade, New Approach commitment to establish an Ad Hoc Committee on Brexit?”
“Does the Minister accept the criticism that, with this approach, he has prioritised an examinations system over the well-being of students? How many teachers and pupils are currently absent due to COVID? What level of absence would be necessary to move to teacher-assessed grades for 2020-21?”
“Will the Minister deliver a more centralised procurement agency that can lead on delivering major capital projects across Northern Ireland Departments, as was recommended by the Audit Office?”
“It is vital now that the same urgency is granted to the area planning process and, indeed, that expedited consideration is given to the development proposal for GCSE years at St John the Baptist’s College, Portadown. I understand that area planning needs to commence towards the end of October for the development proposal to be released for consultation in time for completion prior to Christmas and to allow GCSE subject choices early in the new year. Any other timescale could create significant challenges, anxiety and distress for the school community, and we hope to hear of urgent action from the Education Minister today.”
“<BR /> <BR />It is my understanding that Bridge Integrated Primary School in Banbridge, which I think Dolores Kelly mentioned, is facing some road safety challenges. There have been requests for the Education Minister to consult with his ministerial colleague in the Department for Infrastructure to see whether some solutions can be found for the site. I know that it was disappointed to miss out on the 20 mph pilot scheme recently, but, hopefully, the project can be revisited for that school. <BR /> <BR />Finally, I want to mention the situation at St John the Baptist’s College in Portadown. Sensibly, the Minister granted temporary permission for the creation of a year 11 cohort at the school, which has meant a great deal to a great many pupils and teaching and non-teaching staff at St John the Baptist.”
“I thank the Member for her intervention. That is an example of the extreme maintenance issues that that school is facing and, indeed, that a number of schools are facing across Upper Bann and Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Portadown Integrated Primary School has also been mentioned. It is my understanding that the school was given permission by John O'Dowd MLA in 2015 to increase its pupil numbers, going up to two classes in each age group. However, locating a new site for the expanded school is an ongoing challenge. Many of the classrooms are now modular in nature. It is my understanding that a potential site was identified, but that fell through. Perhaps there are opportunities for revisiting some of the previous proposals.”
“It is my understanding that the Education Authority utilises space on the school's premises that, if vacated and released, could potentially enhance the social-distancing arrangements in that school. Craigavon Senior High School, particularly the Lurgan campus, has been mentioned. I was able to meet Councillor Peter Lavery and the Education Authority about that particularly urgent issue. As other Members have stated today, pupils at that site are experiencing an unacceptably unfit-for-purpose school estate, and that must be urgently addressed. It really does beg this question: why has radical action not been taken before now? We hope that we will hear of a radical plan for that site from the Education Minister.”
“As the Department grapples with those challenges, progress on key work streams such as area planning has been suspended. It is vital that we recommence area planning for constituencies such as Upper Bann, which has experienced, as much as any other constituency in Northern Ireland, the consequences of a slow and unacceptably ineffective area planning process. Hopefully, we will hear detail from the Education Minister on how that area planning process will be recommenced. <BR /> <BR />I would like to mention a number of school settings that have been referenced here today to put them on the Minister's agenda. Tullygally Primary School in Craigavon has been mentioned.”
“I thank Dolores Kelly MLA for making use of this Adjournment debate to raise school estate issues in the Upper Bann constituency. It is constructive to get into the detail of some of the issues, particularly those in Upper Bann. However, sadly, we could be having this debate about any constituency across Northern Ireland, demonstrating the scale of the challenge for the school estate across our region. There is, of course, a wide range of issues for schools and education across Northern Ireland at this time: school restart; the health and safety of teaching and non-teaching staff, pupils and parents; the unequal experience of disrupted learning; unequal educational opportunities; educational recovery; mental health and well-being; and SEN provision.”
“A key goal of the Department of Education is to support all children to achieve their potential. Does the Minister not accept that his Department has failed to achieve that goal and is failing children with special educational needs and their families across Northern Ireland?”
“I ask the Minister, why is there no culture strategy and how will she ensure that the creative and cultural funding reaches artists and organisations who have lost entire income streams as a result of COVID?”
“Does the Minister agree that the exemption of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order is archaic? Will the Executive Office bring forward legislation to repeal the exemption of teachers from legal protection in cases of employment discrimination on the grounds of religious belief and political opinion?”
“I welcome the Minister's commitment to animal welfare. Does he acknowledge concerns that an apparent boom in puppy sales could see an increase in abandoned puppies? If so, what steps is he taking to encourage responsible puppy sales and to support animal welfare shelters?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. The Assembly appreciates the need to control transmission, particularly in our hospitals, but does the Minister accept that those restrictions are causing significant distress, and will he consider relaxing restrictions to allow partners to attend antenatal appointments and scans, to be present throughout labour and to remain with the mother and baby for longer than one hour post-birth?”
“The Northern Ireland Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment is consulting on proposals for an alternative approach to GCSE, AS and A2-level curriculum and assessment for this academic year due to exceptional circumstances. Why does the Education Minister support that, albeit, out of time, consultation for an alternative approach to those examinations, but he is dogmatically opposed to any such consideration of alternatives to requiring 10-year-old children to sit five examinations for post-primary transfer during a global pandemic?”
“I thank the Minister for her response and welcome her commitment to work with the Minister of Education to increase active travel journeys to school. As part of that engagement, has the Minister any plans to increase the on-road cycling proficiency training available to pupils?”
“I thank the Member for giving way briefly. I absolutely agree that maximum student numbers need to be adjusted in these circumstances. Does the Member acknowledge that abolishing the MaSN cap would have significant funding implications and that any assistance that is provided to third-level education must be based on additional resources and not increased student fees?”
“We cannot see this repeated next year, so we need urgent clarity on what the curriculum and assessment process will look like next year, including what contingency plan will be in place for post-primary admissions in 2021.”
“Indeed, it also said that appeals should be based on the characteristics and application of the statistical model, something that the Minister introduced only last week. So, we responded robustly. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Minister will engage with the Committee on the matter, because urgent clarifications are needed, particularly of the timescale for grade allocations to pupils, colleges and universities and, in particular, on how he will work with the Minister for the Economy to ensure that those institutions have all the support that they need to honour the offers that they have made to pupils across Northern Ireland.”