Nick Mathison
Strangford · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“That second part is important. In the scrutiny of the Minister's Bill on school uniforms, we got a little tied up over how we could build in provisions on PE, but, when we got to work on this Bill, we found that there is a simple formulation that will ensure that participation in sport and PE, which, we should remember, is a statutory par…”
“<BR /> <BR />On the basis of that feedback and the other evidence that we received, two draft approaches to developing the Bill were considered. The first was to create a separate, stand-alone Bill with a stand-alone right for pupils to be afforded the choice to wear trousers and to set that out in law.”
“Many schools do that really well, but others, regrettably, do not. To me, only legislation will guarantee the behaviour change that we need. It is not good enough for a Minister to say to young people, "But I give you permission to go and campaign. You run the campaign. Look at Rhea and Astrid: didn't they do so well?".”
“I will name a few: the school uniform must be affordable, so schools have no autonomy on that; and schools must consult with parents when they are changing their policy, so they have no autonomy on that. I could go through every one of the guidelines.”
“depending on the activity. That was to ensure that the need for appropriate clothing for sporting activities was reflected. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, it is a permissive Bill. It is simply focused on creating a universal right to have the choice to wear trousers and enshrining that in the guidance.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I will not speak for long, and I do not plan to rehearse everything that has been said. However, I begin by doing something that I overlooked when I spoke at the beginning: thanking the Deputy Chair of the Committee who first proposed the Bill.”
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“It calls for a clear update on the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and uniform grants; a clear plan and commitment from the Education Minister to address holiday hunger — I emphasise this — in conjunction with his Executive colleagues; a clear update from the Minister on whether he plans to even consider widening access to free school meals; and support for legislation on uniforms that does not just tighten the guidance or make recommendations but places real, meaningful duties on boards of governors to address costs. <BR /> <BR />It is vital that we send a clear message today that we are committed to Northern Ireland's children and our shared belief that no child should go hungry or face unnecessary financial barriers to accessing any aspect of the education system.”
“The report will draw out the many areas, including transport, where parents bear undue costs. Also, the voluntary contributions that many schools require parents to pay can, in some cases, be eye-watering sums of money. It would be good to hear from the Minister about whether there is a wider plan to look at ensuring that we do not place undue cost pressures on parents for accessing any aspect of our education system. I look forward to sharing that report, when it is launched, with the Minister. <BR /> <BR />In summary, there is absolutely nothing that I object to in the motion, but I ask Members to consider supporting our amendment, which calls for a little bit more.”
“It should include an embedded price cap, and it should certainly contain robust statutory guidance that can be enforced to ensure that uniforms are affordable. <BR /> <BR />When we look at the legislation on school uniforms in England, we see that the learning from there is that it is too light-touch, there are far too many grey areas, and parents do not end up with the protections that they need to make cost savings. Alliance welcomes the legislation coming forward, and we look forward to the Minister's update on that, but we will keep a very close eye on it to ensure that what is ultimately delivered is effective. <BR /> <BR />I highlight the all-party group on parental participation in education. Next week, we will launch our report on the cost of accessing education. It is not just about food or uniforms.”
“I recognise that the Minister has put that out to consultation for legislation. I welcome and commend him for that. The rapid action that was taken is to be welcomed. It is also welcome that the consultation included the option of a cost cap, something that the Alliance Party has argued for. That represents progress, because, according to Parentkind's most recent survey, which has been referenced a lot today, 66% of parents here have registered school uniforms as a financial concern. It is not acceptable that two thirds of parents find the necessity of sending their child to school with the appropriate uniform to be a financial concern. Legislation is sorely needed, but, when it is delivered, it must be comprehensive enough to make a meaningful difference. It must focus on real solutions.”
“As I referenced in relation to Mr Carroll's comments, this is an area — I do not disagree entirely with everything Mr Brooks said — where the Departments of Health, Communities and Education need to work together, utilise the Children's Services Co-operation Act and tackle the problem. I would like to see that move beyond lip service. Officials tell us that they are collaborating, but what that really means is that they meet. They meet, talk and discuss, but that is not collaboration. Will we see movement towards joint planning, joint commissioning of services and pooling of resources to deliver on tackling issues like holiday hunger? I do not say that that all sits with one Minister; it is about collaborative action. <BR /> <BR />Our amendment also goes further on the subject of school uniforms.”
“I absolutely agree. Again, I hope that the Minister can cover that in his remarks. It is not just for the Education Minister; it is for the Health Minister and other Ministers. If we were to look at a more universal application of free school meals, we would see, as research has shown, that it has educational and health benefits. The Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 has been mentioned many times in this place as a mechanism that could be used to start taking a more joined-up approach to policymaking. <BR /> <BR />The motion is right to express "grave concern" about the impact of holiday hunger, and I welcome the call for the Minister to provide an update on how he plans to address it.”
“I am going to run out of time, but I will give way. After that, I will need to make some progress.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. If you let me continue, I will address some of those points. <BR /> <BR />I was making the point that we can all support in principle the call to widen access to free school meals, but, of course, the issue of funding makes it more challenging to deliver. I am not suggesting that we should have an overnight flip from our current model to universal provision. Again, we need to look at policy options. We should begin to set a bit of ambition about where we might like to get to, even if we know that we cannot do it overnight, as is the case in many instances.”
“Our amendment also calls on the Minister to set out a plan to widen access to free school meals. Again, that is about setting a direction of travel to start to address the food poverty issues that affect our children and young people. I recognise UNISON's recent campaign that advocated universal free school meals, which is an aspiration that we would all probably be able to sign up to.”
“We still await the conclusion of the review of the eligibility criteria for free school meals and for the school uniform grant, which we have been promised for a very long time. Since I was elected in 2022, I have been asking for that, and I have been repeatedly promised that it is coming, but I have yet to see it. That is not an action with huge associated costs, but it would at least allow us to look at costed policy options to tackle some of the issues affecting children in our schools.”
“Absolutely: I agree entirely. It is one of any number of strategies that we have been waiting for in this place for a long time. The continued cycle of collapse of the institutions does nothing to progress any of that. <BR /> <BR />As I said, I am not going to welcome an unfunded, unpublished strategy as a solution to these issues. Our amendment therefore asks for something more specific but not just on the subject of holiday hunger, as we have tried to widen it to include the broader food poverty issues that are being experienced by children in schools. <BR /> <BR />We know, as I have emphasised, as Mr Brooks has emphasised and, I have no doubt, as the Minister will emphasise, the Department is cash-strapped.”
“<BR /> <BR />I fully appreciate the funding pressures, as Mr Brooks highlighted, being experienced by the Education Department. Nobody is going to argue with that today, but I am not going to vote for an amendment to welcome something that has not taken place. The fact that the Department is strapped for cash does not make it any more sensible to do that. Neither can we look to a future anti-poverty strategy, which I would love to see progressed, but it is, as yet, unfunded and its content is, as yet, unknown. Again, I cannot accept that.”
“I am proposing the Alliance amendment to the motion. I thank the Members who tabled the motion, which gives us the opportunity to highlight the severe burden of holiday hunger and the high cost of school uniforms, particularly PE kits and branded items, on families across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />We tabled our amendment because we feel that the motion is broad and general in scope and lacks clear, specific calls for action. While we support the spirit of it, we want the amendment to add a little more. We will not support the DUP amendment, which appears to ask us to welcome action on holiday hunger, when I have heard no evidence of action having been taken to address that. It calls on us to welcome something that has not taken place, which would be an odd thing for us to endorse.”
“We see that there were two further appointments to Foras na Gaeilge, but many vacancies remain. Will the First Minister outline the precise timescale for filling all the vacancies on the boards of North/South bodies?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Will he answer in more detail what funding the Department needs to drive a just transition? Will he also talk about the cost of failing to take action on climate change?”
“Thank you, Minister, for the update today. It is welcome news that this is now progressing. I welcome also your comments about how important classroom assistants are to the running of our education system. On that basis, can you provide an update on the development of the register for substitute classroom assistants, similar to the Northern Ireland supply teacher register for teachers?”
“The fact that we are debating the same issues today in almost exactly the same terms as they were rehearsed in Committee suggests that Members been not fully persuaded on those points. <BR /> <BR />I will summarise by saying that I hope that the amendment receives support today. If supported, it would present a welcome reset of the debate. If the Department can come back in a timely fashion to update the House and the Committee on what it has done to address the concerns, to review the criteria and to ensure that the resource — the much-needed £20 million investment — is going to the communities and to the children and young people who need it most, we could revisit this with confidence that needs will be met on the basis of objective need.”
“If areas are excluded, yet we see the highest levels of deprivation being exhibited, the Department will need to look at it again. We need much clearer, much more robust reasons why that is the case. The Department should make the necessary changes to ensure that those living in our most deprived communities benefit most from the funding. <BR /> <BR />When officials came to the Committee before recess to discuss the issue, they were at pains at that stage, as was the Minister today, to emphasise that decisions were not about excluding any area but were to focus clearly on educational attainment rather than solely on socio-economic deprivation and avoid duplication.”
“We can, hopefully, all agree that the publication of the list was a deeply unhelpful intervention by the Department. <BR /> <BR />It is welcome that local communities will receive investment and make their own decisions about how to direct it to improve educational outcomes. Any locally targeted programme will undoubtedly create winners and losers. Unfortunately, that is inevitable. There is no way that £20 million will reach every child in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />The challenge that we face here is that, in relation to the RAISE programme, people simply do not feel confident that the reasons that have been given are clear about why certain areas are being targeted and others are not. That is why we call on the Department at this early stage to review the criteria.”
“<BR /> <BR />Research shows that free school meals entitlement remains a reliable indicator of educational attainment. I worry that the more layers and nuance we add, the more complicated we make the picture. Colleagues have already referred to the Northern Ireland Audit Office report in 2021, which showed that, throughout a child's journey in the education system, free school meals entitlement remains a reliable guide to future prospects of educational attainment. <BR /> <BR />I welcome and highlight the fact that it has been clearly articulated in the debate that it is not a schools-based programme. Hopefully, we can put some of that to bed. It is not pitting one school against another when it comes to who is in and who is out.”
“If we went to a full design of an entirely new programme, I would be concerned that that could cause unnecessary disruption and delay. <BR /> <BR />It is clear to me that the complex formula that the Department has used — I still do not think that that has been fully unpicked; it is not clear how all the different elements have been weighted — coupled with what I still maintain was the unhelpful publication of lists of schools that were potentially in the scope of the programme, has severely dented public confidence in the effectiveness of and rationale behind the targeting of the programme. At the very least, the Department needs to reset the narrative and clearly articulate how we have ended up in a place where confidence in the scheme is so low when it really should have been something that we all welcomed.”
“The Department's research, which was carried out this year on the back of the 'A Fair Start' recommendation, still came back and said that, until we come up with a better measure — the jury is still out on whether what the Department has come up with is a better measure — free school meals entitlement should remain as the one that is used. <BR /> <BR />As my colleagues set out, our amendment sought to find a pragmatic way through those issues. We agree that socio-economic background is the clearest and most straightforward way to measure likely future educational attainment. We do not agree that the programme will absolutely and fundamentally not deliver on the basis of objective need. For some areas and many children who will benefit from the investment, it may well achieve that aim.”
“I do not want to rehearse all the contributions to the debate, because there was broad agreement that the investment is welcome and that we want to see educational underachievement being tackled. I want to speak briefly on some of the Minister's comments. The Minister was clear that social disadvantage, poverty and deprivation is not the sole measure by which we can measure the likely prospects for educational attainment. I do not think that anybody across all the parties claimed that it was the only measure, but the point was made that that is the measure that is used in almost every other intervention that the Department makes.”
“I am glad to have the opportunity to make a winding-up speech on Alliance's amendment to the motion. While the original motion was highly critical of the RAISE programme's current approach to targeting and expressed no confidence that it would meet objective need, it seemed clear from the debate that there was some agreement on, at least, the principle that tackling educational underachievement should be a priority for the Education Minister. The disagreement was largely not around whether we should make the investment but on how the programme should invest and target the money. I suppose that, to an extent, we have some sort of starting point to work from.”
“If and when the public-sector transformation board is made permanent, will Departments have a further opportunity to submit new bids, given that the initial window of time was very short?”
“I thank the Minister for giving way. I welcome the reassurances that it is not a school-based programme, and we received those reassurances from your officials at Committee as well. Does the Minister accept, however, that publishing a list of schools has created confusion and a misunderstanding of how the programme will operate and that the Department now needs to do some work to reset the balance and perhaps improve communications around the programme?”
“<BR /> <BR />There can be no complacency in the service that is provided to meet the needs of deaf children. Longer-term planning is vital to support our deaf learners in Northern Ireland. I support the motion and hope that it will receive support across the House.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to be clear: the current system of support has the potential to provide and, in many cases, does provide the right assistance for deaf children in Northern Ireland. However, the service is experiencing pressure and cannot stand still. I hope that that is the message that comes through today. <BR /> <BR />I want to highlight the research commissioned by the National Deaf Children's Society in partnership with the EA — David Brooks mentioned it — which will look at the current provision of the EA sensory service and what the future of that service might look like. I hope that the report and findings will be available soon. I strongly urge the Minister to take that on board when considering future interventions by the Department. We look forward to the publication of that research.”
“It has been referenced by other Members, but it is important to highlight again that a 2023 report carried out by Queen's University, Belfast, found that around 20% of deaf children experienced at least one psychological disorder. That compares with 12% of their hearing peers in the classroom. Anxiety disorders have already been highlighted as being prevalent. Such factors as listening fatigue, communication barriers and social isolation can exacerbate those challenges, so, as far as I understand it, it is vital that teachers properly understand those additional needs: not just the barriers to learning caused by the deafness but the additional psychological issues that can arise. Teachers need to be properly trained to reflect the very best practice when they have a deaf child in their class.”
“<BR /> <BR />Depending on their level of deafness, children will see their teacher of the deaf with varying frequency. For some, that may be only an annual visit, so being assigned that specialist teacher is not a passport to regular support. Well-trained teachers and classroom assistants who can utilise technology effectively and roll out whole-school approaches to ensure that the needs of a deaf child are met in every aspect of their school life are essential. We need better training at initial teacher training stage, in continuing professional development (CPD) and in the upskilling of our classroom assistants. <BR /> <BR />That training and awareness is not just about the technical knowledge that a teacher needs to teach a deaf pupil in their class.”
“Both approaches will require strategic workforce planning by the Department, and I hope that the Minister will outline what specific work is being undertaken in that regard. <BR /> <BR />There may also be a need to look at the model of support itself and at other roles, as well as the vital resource of teachers of the deaf, who are highly valued by children and their families; the value placed on that role cannot be overstated. However, other roles could be explored to deliver support. Potentially, specialist classroom assistants or communication support workers could have a focus on the appropriate use of technology for some of the children. I would like to hear from the Minister whether those alternative roles are being actively considered.”
“Members have mentioned the decline in the number of teachers of the deaf, which is in the region of a 32% decline since 2011. Concerningly, as we look to the future, 30% of those teachers are potentially in line to retire in the next decade. There is a clear need to focus on meaningful and engaged workforce planning, if the service is to continue providing the support that it does for our deaf children. <BR /> <BR />Despite the decline in the workforce and the imminent challenges, there is no route to qualify as a teacher of the deaf in Northern Ireland, as was mentioned. To generate the teachers of the deaf that we need, we will need qualified teachers to travel across the water to GB for their postgraduate qualification or to incentivise teachers who already have that qualification to come to Northern Ireland.”
“I support the motion and thank the Member who moved it. I thank Déirdre and the wider team at the National Deaf Children's Society, who campaign tirelessly for the best support for deaf children in Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />As Members referenced, when deafness is identified in a child, even in infancy, they will ordinarily be assigned a teacher of the deaf who will start working with them and their family from that early stage. At the outset, I express thanks and pay tribute for the work of the EA sensory service and the specialist teachers of the deaf who deliver that vital work and intervention at that early stage. It is, perhaps, a model of support that we could learn from for all children with SEN. <BR /> <BR />As Members have referenced, access to that vital support is not without challenge and, indeed, threat to the service.”
“To conclude, the Minister is aware of the Committee's strategic priorities, which, again, have all been touched on today, so I am asking whether a ruling can be made on the need for the Hansard report to be accurate when Ministers refer to the work of the Committees.”
“On a point of order, Mr Speaker. I note that comments have been made by the Minister in relation to the work of the Education Committee. I would like the Speaker to make a ruling on the need for Ministers to be accurate in their statements in the Chamber around the work of Committees. He said that the RSE inquiry that is running is a "pet project" of the Alliance Party. It was voted for, unanimously, by all members of the Education Committee, including members from his party. The Minister will be aware that we are hearing evidence from his Department on the key issues discussed today, including tackling educational underachievement and special educational needs —”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. It is particularly welcome as, in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, there was a strong emphasis by the Alliance Party on the need to bring forward this review. We welcome the statement. <BR /> <BR />What is notable is that he is taking forward many welcome recommendations. However, I note what he is not taking forward, among which are the recommendations around transition, particularly on the post-primary transfer process. Given that the ending of that process could have a key role in improving pupil well-being and tackling educational disadvantage, will the Minister outline the rationale for not taking forward those recommendations of the panel? Will we be looking at another mandate in which this issue is, yet again, kicked into the long grass?”
“<BR /> <BR />I am unclear about why not even a couple of evening crossings could have been included in the replacement ferry service to support local businesses. Again, that speaks to me of a lack of engagement from the Minister and, perhaps, a lack of understanding of the impact on those communities of the loss of the ferry service. <BR /> <BR />I hope that the Minister will rethink the passenger ferry evening provision and keep under review all the wider mitigation measures that are in place. With increased numbers of foot passengers making the journey in the mornings, it is vital that we are confident that onward bus provision is also adequate. That needs to be kept under close review as well. The works are, of course, essential, but better mitigations are required. I hope that the Minister will take action in that regard.”
“I say for anyone not from the area that to drive from Portaferry to Strangford is a 50-mile one-way trip and not one that local people choose to make when the ferry can have you across the lough in 10 minutes. It was, of course, welcome when a passenger replacement ferry was announced, but it takes a break for a chunk of the afternoon and crucially, in my view, provides no evening crossings. That has the potential to have an impact on the night-time economy of both villages. The Portico centre in Portaferry, as just one example, has raised concerns around how its evening events will be attended with no ferry crossing for anyone wanting to travel across the lough. Local bars and restaurants are preparing for a potential loss of trade as a result.”
“That has left many local businesses in a difficult position, having had little time to prepare for the service suspension.”
“The Strangford ferry has been suspended from the start of this week to allow essential maintenance work to be carried out at the quayside. Of course, that essential work is welcome, and it is good to see its being delivered. However, I put on record my concerns about how the Infrastructure Minister handled the process. When I asked questions about the level of community engagement prior to the suspension and the announcement about it, I received no evidence that engagement was carried out with the local community in any meaningful way.”
“I thank the Minister for her answer. We understand that the £235 million will be delivered in tranches of £47 million over five years. Will the Minister outline whether the flexibility and profile of that funding have been agreed with Treasury to ensure that we maximise the investment over that timescale?”
“Will the Minister provide an assessment of the extent to which he considers that the Loyalist Communities Council (LCC) represents the views of proscribed, unlawful paramilitary organisations and, on that basis, explain the rationale as to why it was appropriate to hear its views on education policy?”
“I thank the Minister for that update and am sorry if my question was not delivered clearly. Will the Minister provide information on what engagement he has had with businesses in Northern Ireland on the development of the careers portal to ensure that it will be fit for purpose?”
“<BR /> <BR />The full background and context of what took place yesterday will be subject to investigation by the PSNI, Translink and, potentially, the EA, but that is not for our discussion today. The Assembly should be clear in expressing its solidarity with and support for all those who were impacted on. I also thank the school staff who worked tirelessly to late into the evening to set up a critical incident room and provide support for affected pupils and families. I reiterate that my thoughts and best wishes are with all those impacted on. I put on record my thanks to everybody, including the members of the public, who helped at the scene.”
“The coming days will be difficult for the school and all those associated with the school. The Education Authority (EA) will be there to provide support today and in the days to come. I urge any pupils who were impacted on by the incident to take up the offer of help and support. However, there are pupils still in hospital receiving treatment. I send my best wishes — I am sure that all Members would wish to join me in that — for a full recovery to them and anyone who sustained injuries. It is very welcome that we are not discussing life-threatening injuries, but we should keep those who are in hospital, and their worried families, in our thoughts.”
“I also pay tribute to the pupils at the scene who exited other buses and comforted some of the pupils who were in distress. They really are a credit to their schools and families, and it is important to put that on the record.”
“<BR /> <BR />I put on record my thanks to all the emergency services — the PSNI, the Ambulance Service and the Fire and Rescue Service — which responded so quickly and professionally to a rapidly emerging major incident. From what I can understand, they dealt with students who were in severe distress with kindness, compassion and professionalism, ensuring that any serious injuries were dealt with as quickly as possible.”
“All Members will be aware of the terrible incident yesterday involving a bus that overturned while travelling from Strangford Integrated College. I should put on record that I have a child who attends the school and was in the bus behind. <BR /> <BR />First, my thoughts are with all those who have been affected and with the wider school community at this extremely difficult time. It is a miracle that we are not dealing with a fatality or fatalities today in our reflections on the incident. When we all saw the news footage yesterday, we all feared the worst, so we should be very grateful that we are not dealing with an absolute tragedy this morning as we discuss the incident.”
“The action plan, tackling every aspect of SEN reform, cannot come quickly enough, and the Minister needs to ensure that it is delivered as a priority action in the weeks ahead. It must set out a clear plan, it must be time-bound and it must have clear measures of success. Anything less will be another failure to meet the needs of SEN learners in Northern Ireland.”
“Many EA staff have worked incredibly hard to manage another year of crisis management in SEN places. In some cases, they have been asked to turn around capital projects in a ridiculously short time. However, this is no way to run our education system for children with special educational needs. The end-to-end review of education is now well progressed, and it has been looking at the system-level change required to address the issues. We urgently need to move to a new phase with the presentation of a clear action plan to tackle the systemic issues. Placements are only one strand of work, but it is essential that we do not see a repeat of the situation in any future years.”