Pat Sheehan
West Belfast · Sinn Féin · Northern Ireland
“I thank the Member for giving way. Does she agree that the Minister's School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill was poor legislation and a missed opportunity?”
“The last point that you made reminded me of one of the witnesses — a young girl — who came to the Committee. During the winter, she wore her own overcoat, but she had to take it off 100 yards from the school gate because she was not allowed to wear it into the school.”
“Agus iad ag ullmhú le haghaidh scrúduithe GCSE agus ard-leibhéil, féadann an imní agus an éiginnteacht sin drochthionchar a imirt ar a n-oideachas agus ar a bhfolláine.”
“Is scannalach go deo an foréigean ciníoch a chonaic muid le seachtain anuas. Tá ionsaithe ar theaghlaigh, ar thithe agus ar ghnólachtaí doleithscéil, agus tá siad dochosanta. Níor cheart eagla a mbáis a bheith ar dhaoine neamhurchóideacha mar gheall ar a gcine, a gcúlra ná a gcreideamh.”
“One of the reasons, Daniel, is that, if we were to have blocked the Bill at the Executive, the SDLP would be saying tomorrow morning "This place is dysfunctional. You're blocking legislation. Sinn Féin is blocking legislation, and the DUP is blocking legislation". No, we are not blocking legislation.”
“I have not once today argued against inspections. Not once. The Bill is about one thing and one thing only: intimidating and punishing teachers.”
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“Quite often over the past 15 or 20 years, or maybe even longer, we have seen that, rather than dealing with complaints from the public, health trusts, in particular, have circled the wagons and tried to protect their reputations. <BR /> <BR />One case in particular was that of young Claire Roberts, who was nine years of age when she went into the Children's Hospital and ended up dying as a result of the treatment that she received there. I noticed on Twitter that it would have been her thirty-fifth birthday only a matter of weeks ago. The Roberts family are still trying to get justice for what happened to Claire.”
“If it can be fixed, fix it early. If an apology would suffice, let us get that done earlier and focus on what matters. Be fair, be honest, learn and improve.”
“If those principles are applied properly, they will go a long way to allowing people to make complaints and be confident that they will be dealt with in the right way. <BR /> <BR />I will reiterate the six principles. First, start off right. That does not need any explanation. If someone comes to make a complaint, make sure that they understand what the process will be like and what the ombudsman's office can or cannot do.”
“The Chair has outlined the background to the debate today, insofar as there is no single complaints process for people who want to make complaints against public bodies. Indeed, when the ombudsman, Margaret Kelly, was with the Committee, she gave the example of one person who had contacted 54 different organisations before being directed to the ombudsman's office. <BR /> <BR />In my experience, as health spokesperson for Sinn Féin, I have received numerous complaints and emails from people who did not know where to go to when they had a complaint about a health trust or some other component of the health service. It is important that we have a streamlined process that is accessible and easily understood. It is important that the six principles, outlined by the Chair, are in simple, straightforward language that people can understand.”
“I suppose that I was not really clear in what I was saying. It is not so much about creating an advantage as about making sure that the pitch is levelled so that, if parents and children make a choice about what sector they want to go to, they are all able to access it.”
“Until that is changed, there needs to be some further leg-up for the integrated sector, and the Irish-medium sector, I have to say.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. The crux of the Bill is that, despite having, on the face of it, an advantage in the 1989 Order through article 64, which states that the Department has a statutory obligation to encourage and facilitate integrated education, the sector has not been brought on to an equal footing with other sectors. That can be seen in the fact that, as I mentioned in my contribution, and the Member also mentioned it, none of us knows of a case in which a child has not been able to access either the controlled sector or the maintained sector. It is the case, however, with integrated education that some children cannot get into an integrated school. It is the same for the Irish-medium sector. Article 64 has obviously not resolved that issue.”
“It involves local communities in a comprehensive consultation process but, at the same time, still gives the integrated sector a fair wind in those conversations. I therefore encourage others to support amendment No 27.”
“Even at the early stages, the sponsor acknowledged that. The clause states that there is a presumption that any new school would be an integrated school. That proved to be extremely problematic for us. Thankfully, in our engagement with the sponsor and her researcher, they came forward with a new clause, and that is welcome. It would have been wrong to impose solutions on areas without the consultation that should be expected when delivering education provision. I am glad to say, as I have just pointed out, that the Bill sponsor has accepted the concerns that were voiced about that. Amendment No 27 represents a suitable way forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />The timing of the Bill has been difficult for us — I will not pretend otherwise — with the independent review of education already under way. Many have made the argument — it has been well made — that the legislation should have been delayed to allow for the independent review to take place first. I accept that that is a fairly strong argument, but others have to accept the argument that many families are waiting for progress in the here and now. Who knows when the independent review will provide its report or when the recommendations of that report will be implemented? It is important that we move ahead now and acknowledge that the Bill sponsor has been working on it for years, even prior to the commitments on the education system made in 'New Decade, New Approach' (NDNA). <BR /> <BR />Clause 7 is a big problematic area.”
“Children who are currently in integrated schools but do not feel that their identity is as respected or as tolerated as that of others can also call on the strategy to ensure that their culture and identity are respected. It is important that the integrated sector be seen as one that promotes and practises cultural diversity in all its aspects and that no one attends an integrated school feeling as though they are in some way second-class citizens in those schools or that their identity and culture are not respected. The strategy will help as far as that is concerned. Training in diversity and respect will be crucial for integrated education, and monitoring how schools perform in that regard is particularly welcome and progressive.”
“It is not an advantage; it is about a level playing pitch.”
“Some have voiced concerns that a strategy for the sector will give it an unfair advantage. However, some advantage is necessary because those who have argued today that the integrated sector gets an advantage from this legislation have yet to explain how parents who cannot get their children into an integrated school will be facilitated. I do not know of a situation in which a parent could not get their child into a maintained or controlled school. The Irish-medium sector has the same difficulties as the integrated sector. There is not a level playing pitch. We are not giving an advantage to the integrated sector; we are levelling off the pitch so that parents who want their children to go to the integrated sector can have the same choice as those who want to send their children to any of the other sectors.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak on this group of amendments. The strategy is key to this legislation and will give it some teeth.”
“different groups of people. The key concern that comes through our constituency office doors about integrated education is one of frustration that that level of respect for and understanding of the Irish identity is not there. We have the opportunity to address those concerns through the Bill, however. <BR /> <BR />One of the other criticisms that I have made of the integrated sector — I hope that the Bill will deal with it — is that some integrated schools practise academic selection. That is contrary to the ethos of inclusiveness and diversity and creates another artificial barrier in our society. <BR /> <BR />I note the Bill sponsor's proposed amendment to the definition of "integrated school". I welcome being able to take part in the debate, and I do not intend to speak at any length throughout it. I will finish on that point.”
“The sponsor knows that I have criticised it in the Chamber, and my colleague John O'Dowd has always been critical of it. One of the fears is that, in the past, although the integrated sector certainly preached that there was cultural diversity in its schools, that was not always practised. I hope that our debating and discussing the Bill will have an impact on those integrated schools to ensure that there is proper cultural diversity and to ensure that the Irish identity is catered for. I willingly acknowledge that many integrated schools already teach the Irish language, promote Gaelic games and teach a different perspective of Irish history than would have been taught previously. That is good progress, but more still needs to be done. <BR /> <BR />I am particularly supportive of the part of amendment No 5 that refers to progressing:”
“Consequent to supporting amendment No 24, we also support amendment Nos 70 and 71, which remove the CCMS, the CCEA and the NI Youth Council from the definition of "education bodies" in the Bill. <BR /> <BR />Although, in our context here, integrated education has a particular definition — of educating Catholics and Protestants together — society now is very different from what it was previously. I welcome the proposal to expand on the existing definition, with that increased level of diversity, to reference and include those of different abilities and from different socio-economic backgrounds. Encouraging greater diversity in our schools can only be a good thing as we move forward as a society. <BR /> <BR />Although I welcome the Bill, I am not uncritical of the integrated sector.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will speak in support of the Bill sponsor's amendment No 5, amendment No 6 and the Minister's amendment No 24. <BR /> <BR />One of the things about the process in Committee was that we were faced with choices, because a number of amendments were proposed to certain clauses. We went through them all and settled on the ones that we thought were most suitable. In this case, the Minister's amendment No 24 to clause 6 is the best. If that clause is not amended, it will place a contradictory or conflicting duty on the CCMS, which has a statutory responsibility for its sector. Another statutory responsibility — an onerous responsibility — would be placed on it to deal also with the integrated sector. That was a mistake in the Bill's original drafting.”
“Parents and young people will still have a choice of what sector they wish to attend, be it integrated, controlled, maintained or Irish medium. All of those sectors will exist in the short to medium term; they will not disappear. It is important, therefore, that other sectors are not disadvantaged by the Integrated Education Bill. However, it is important to acknowledge the challenges that exist for the integrated sector. <BR /> <BR />I want to take this opportunity to thank the Bill sponsor for her work in taking the Bill forward. I thank her and her researcher and policy person, Fiona, on the positive and constructive conversations that we have had throughout the process. Any time that we have sought information about the process of the Bill, the sponsor has been more than willing to facilitate meetings and conversations on it.”
“An example of that is the Strule shared education model in Omagh, which will bring together pupils from six local schools, with representation from the controlled, maintained and voluntary school sectors. Each school will retain its individuality and ethos while maximising the opportunities provided through collaboration and sharing. The Bill, if enacted, will enhance the efforts to break down barriers and build a new society rooted in peace and equality. Of course, the segregation in our education system is not responsible for the divisions in our society. Consequently, a more integrated education system will not be a panacea for all of society's ills. However, it can be another building block in helping to heal the divisions that exist. <BR /> <BR />It is important to state that integrated education will not be forced on anyone.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak at Consideration Stage. Everyone wants change of one degree or another, and much has changed here over the past 100 years. That process of change has accelerated since the signing of the Good Friday Agreement, but there is still much to do. Sectarianism still exists here, and it is a cancer in our society. The continued segregation of our society is an obstacle to ending and eradicating that sectarianism. In the light of that, it is good to see positive approaches to reducing segregation. New Decade, New Approach commits the Executive to carrying out:”
“<BR /> <BR />Let me be very clear about this: the responsibility for the safe operation of our schools lies entirely with the Education Minister. Two years into the pandemic, she has no plan, she has made no proposals, she has brought nothing to the Executive and she has not asked for money for air filtration systems. That is her responsibility as Education Minister, and she has totally failed that basic test. Opening windows in classrooms will not cut it. While our children are shivering in their classrooms, the Minister is dithering in the Department. It is time for action. It is time for action now.”
“However, what she also needs to take account of is that there will be uneven disruption across the sector. Some pupils and some schools will be affected more than others, and it is important to ensure that individual students are not disadvantaged. Any assessment tool needs to allow teachers to take account of how individual learning has been disrupted among their students. Furthermore, there need to be immediate discussions between the Department, CCEA and the unions — the teachers' representatives — to design contingency plans for our students in the time ahead. <BR /> <BR />With regard to contact tracing, there have been problems since schools restarted after the summer. There needs to be meaningful contact tracing in our schools, and isolation guidance should be reinstated. Bubbles in classrooms should be reintroduced.”
“I am aware of that. I am also aware that there is a monitoring round in January, and perhaps some funding will become available then. <BR /> <BR />Let us start with special schools and then primary schools, but the important thing is this: let us have a plan and let us provide teachers with better protection than they already have. Let us provide filtering face piece 2 (FFP2) masks, because the evidence and the science shows us that there is a greater decrease in transmission when people are wearing FFP2 masks. <BR /> <BR />I move on to exams. There has been significant disruption already in our schools, and, in all likelihood, there will be more disruption over the next weeks and months. The Minister needs to bring forward contingency plans similar to those that were used last year.”
“Even if there is not sufficient funding to put air filtration devices in every classroom in the North, she should start with the most vulnerable and put these devices into classrooms in special schools, where our children are vulnerable and where the contact is closest with teachers, and then primary schools, where pupils are not wearing masks.”
“I absolutely agree. There has been no forward planning whatsoever. <BR /> <BR />I move on to the issue of ventilation and air filtration systems. This is not new technology, but it is proven technology. It is used in laboratories, operating theatres and on aircraft to purify the air. No one is suggesting, again, that this is a silver bullet and that it will resolve all the issues, but it is a device that could help to provide cleaner air in classrooms and therefore make the environment safer for children and staff. The issue of funding has been raised. The Minister knows the process for obtaining funding. It is her responsibility to cost these devices and then submit a funding bid to the Minister of Finance. The Minister of Finance will then bring it to the Executive, and the Executive will decide what funding to allocate.”
“Is the Minister really telling us, a Cheann Comhairle, that her Department could not sit down with the higher education institutions and organise insurance for student teachers coming into the classroom? Is that beyond the Department's capacity? <BR /> <BR />It is also the case that the NI substitute teacher register (NISTR) needs to be updated. I have been inundated with calls from principals who are having real difficulty getting substitute teachers. One principal phoned five people on the list, and each told her that they were already in full-time employment. We know there is a real debacle with the General Teaching Council NI (GTCNI). That became really clear after the summer but has been a problem for a number of years. NISTR needs to be updated. <BR /> <BR />I want to move on to the issue of ventilation in classrooms.”
“One was that any enhanced teaching role could see students falling in between employer and higher education institutions' liability insurance cover, leaving them legally vulnerable. Really, Minister? Are you telling the Assembly that your Department could not liaise with the higher education —”
“Unfortunately, she made that call only two days before Christmas. <BR /> <BR />A significant number of teachers in the Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI), the Department of Education, the Education Authority (EA) and the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) are at desk jobs, and they could be redeployed into pupil-facing roles to relieve the stress on schools at the minute, and we could have the deployment of final-year students into the classroom. <BR /> <BR />I wrote to the Minister on 4 December about that issue, and I finally received a response on 6 January. I was given a long list of excuses as to why student teachers could not be deployed in the classroom.”
“There are the issues of ventilation, contingency plans for examinations, contact tracing and other potential mitigations. I accept that there is no silver bullet or panacea, but I will argue that there needs to be a combination of measures, a range of mitigations, that can be introduced in schools that can make them safer for staff and students. <BR /> <BR />The first issue that I want to deal with is substitute teachers and the lack of adequate cover that there has been. On 17 December, I made the point to the Minister, that no call had been made for retired teachers to come back into the system in the same way that the NHS, at the outset of the pandemic, asked for retired doctors, nurses and other staff to come back in. So, I was glad to see the Minister finally listen to what was being said.”
“I want to preface any remarks that I make by saying that we are not two weeks into the pandemic, we are not two months into the pandemic, we are two years into it. The reason for bringing the Assembly back was to give a voice to school staff, parents and students to express their frustration about the way in which things have been handled in schools to date. This situation was entirely predictable. This is also about accountability and the Assembly holding the Minister to account. <BR /> <BR />I want to deal with a number of issues, and I will try to get through as many of them as I can. There is the lack of adequate cover for teachers who are absent due to the pandemic and COVID-19 or other sickness or having to care for family members.”
“I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. I thank the Minister for that answer. Irish language speakers are entitled to equality, and public bodies have a responsibility to encourage and facilitate the language. With that in mind, will she tell us what percentage of the public transport fleet have place names in Irish on their destination screens?”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht a freagra. I thank the Minister for her answer. Given that several polls and studies now show that there is increased and increasing support for the protocol, not to mention the Invest NI statistics about increasing FDI interest, does the Minister agree that the public and our business community increasingly embrace the protocol and see it as a necessary protection against the impact of a reckless Tory/DUP Brexit that we never wanted and certainly never voted for?”
“The pandemic has had a disproportionate effect on sectors in the community that were already disadvantaged, including children and young people, women, those on low incomes and those with disabilities. Does the Minister agree that tackling inequality and disadvantage must be at the core of any recovery?”
“Systemic failures in its registration function, an inadequate governance framework, complete breakdown in working relationships and data protection failures: the list goes on and on when it comes to the General Teaching Council. It is a body that was established to regulate the teaching profession here but completely failed to deliver on its functions. The evidence that the Minister has provided in her statement reflects what the Committee has heard over a protracted period. Given the critical need for teacher regulation, can the Minister outline how she intends to ensure that those vital functions are carried out, both in the short term and in the long term?”
“The omicron variant may also present new challenges, so I urge the Minister to revisit her approach to COVID in schools. <BR /> <BR />We need to see a comprehensive strategic plan from the Minister that puts high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters in all classrooms and sets out a contact-tracing policy in which teachers and families can have confidence. We also need to see the urgent redeployment of qualified teachers from non-pupil-facing positions to the classroom. <BR /> <BR />The Minister keeps telling us that she wants to keep schools open. We agree, but she has to be willing to do what it takes, and she must get on with the planning urgently.”
“I want to speak about COVID in schools. Schools are so important for children having their social, educational and developmental needs met. Every school day is precious if the environment in the school is safe. As we approach the end of this school term, it is quite clear that the Minister must act on a range of measures if schools are to reopen and to remain open safely in the new year. <BR /> <BR />Over recent weeks, principals have been open and honest as they described the deterioration of the situation in many schools. A lack of appropriate guidance and adequate safety mitigations, a light-touch contact-tracing policy and a lack of substitute teachers have put schools in difficult positions, with many having to resort to partial closures.”
“Last year, there were numerous reports of post-primary schools using admissions criteria that ran counter to the guidance from the Department. Despite the distress and upset caused to children and their parents, there is no sanction or repercussion for schools that do not adhere to the guidance. Is it not time for the guidance to be put on a statutory footing so that our schoolchildren are protected and supported?”
“The Finance Minister recently announced a significant funding boost for special educational needs in the October monitoring round. Will the Minister give us further detail on how that money will be allocated? When can we expect to see special supports reach our classrooms and schools?”
“Does the First Minister agree that, if the British Government reject those reasonable proposals, it will be because the Tories want to engage in perpetual war with Europe rather than deal with tangible solutions, and that we will end up as collateral damage in that agenda?”
“While most people agree that there are operational difficulties with the protocol that need to be ironed out, the EU has put reasonable proposals on the table to do just that.”
“Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as a ráiteas. I thank the Minister for her statement. I welcome her commitment that the work will start today. Can the joint First Minister outline what immediate steps will be taken to progress the recommendations?”
“One of the major difficulties in the careers system is that personalised advice is not available to students until year 12. Is there any plan in the careers strategy to make personalised advice available for students in year 10, before they pick their GCSE subjects?”
“It is very important, and I am sure that it will get support right across the House.”
“There is a massive difference between one in 10 surviving and one in four surviving. There is no reason why we cannot reach those figures if we roll out a proper strategy and children are trained in school on how to do this. <BR /> <BR />Chris Lyttle mentioned what happened to Christian Eriksen at the Euros, which we all remember, but, even closer to home, people have survived cardiac arrest on the playing pitch. Kevin McCloy, the former Derry footballer, had a cardiac arrest whilst playing for Lavey in a club match. He gave thanks to the people who came onto the pitch and gave him CPR. There was a defibrillator there as well. That was there because of the high-profile campaign after the death of Cormac McAnallen, the former Tyrone all-Ireland-winning captain, who also died as a result of a cardiac arrest. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill.”
“There are many first responders, particularly in rural areas, who carry defibrillators in the boot of their cars and are ready to go at a moment's notice to intervene to save people if needs be. My colleague Michelle Gildernew is a first responder and has, on occasion, had cause to use the AED. <BR /> <BR />There is no doubt that lives have been saved by the training that the Ambulance Service has been giving to groups and organisations. I understand that Sport NI will be rolling out training as well. As well as CPR being a mandatory part of the school curriculum, we need a whole-community response, where others in society have access to training, particularly in CPR but also in the use of AEDs. It is only when the whole of the community is trained in this area that we will see an increase in the survival rates.”
“It is only when people have that knowledge that they will have the confidence to intervene in a situation where a person has had a cardiac arrest. I have heard it said that, given the litigious society that we live in, some people are afraid to intervene because, if they did and got it wrong — breaking somebody's breastbone or something like that — while performing CPR, they might be sued by the victim. There is no record of anyone who was intervening to give life support or help being sued, so people should not be afraid of that. <BR /> <BR />There have been attempts to increase the availability of, and access to, CPR training, most notably the 2014 community resuscitation strategy. That has been taken forward under the leadership of the Ambulance Service, which should be commended for that.”
“Initially, it was thought that he would not survive or that, if he did, he would be in some way incapacitated or disabled as a result of starvation of oxygen to the brain. Fortunately, he made a full recovery and survived. <BR /> <BR />The evidence shows us that survival rates are much higher in places where more people are trained to perform CPR and are willing to intervene. Colin referenced Denmark in his contribution, but there are other places throughout the world where there has been extensive CPR training and a raising of awareness about CPR training. The evidence tells us that even a very short training programme on CPR can make a difference. In the time that a television advert lasts, people can be shown how to perform CPR and given that confidence.”
“The defibrillator was brought in and deployed but not activated because it detected that there was still a heartbeat; a verbal message came from it not to activate it. It is important that messages like that get to people who may have some basic training in the use of an AED but are concerned about whether they should use it. The AED is able to say whether a person's heart is beating, and, if it is, it will say not to use the device. <BR /> <BR />I know of other people who have had cardiac arrests. I have a good friend who took a cardiac arrest in bed. Fortunately, his wife arrived in the bedroom within a very short space of time, realised what was happening and, because she had some medical training, was able to use CPR until the paramedics arrived. She saved his life. He was brought to hospital and treated.”