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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“Why is that still the experience for so many children and young people with special educational needs? For me, it speaks to a two-tier education system: one for mainstream pupils, where the system for allocating places is largely predictable, largely consistent and planned, and one for children with special educational needs that is managed consistently on one level but is on a crisis footing, characterised by an apparent failure of planning, and is entirely unpredictable year-on-year for the children and families involved. No one operating in the system claims that that is acceptable. The Minister is clear on that, the Education Authority (EA) is clear on that and the schools waiting for works to be completed want nothing more than to open their doors and provide education that meets the needs of those children.”
“I rise to raise the issue of placements for children with special educational needs. I have received information in response to a question that I submitted to the Education Minister last week. It states that children with special educational needs have all been allocated a place in school, but currently 139 children are unable to access that place because capital works are ongoing to make the building ready to receive those pupils. <BR /> <BR />This situation would not be accepted as normal for a pupil applying to a school through mainstream admissions: to be awarded a place but to be told that the physical space — the classroom, effectively — is simply not ready to accommodate you.”
“Thank you, Minister. I am happy to provide more detail. Today, I met a group of special school principals from the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust area, along with the Education Minister and officials from the Education Department. They informed us about a very difficult situation that they are facing, whereby nursing provision is being withdrawn from their schools, and, indeed, from other special schools across Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister commit to meeting those principals to hear about their concerns and the impact that that is having on the ability of those schools to deal with some of the most complex medical needs of children in the education system and will he commit to working with the Education Minister to address that issue?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. It is a welcome update. The issue is causing many difficulties for constituents whom I am dealing with in Strangford. One such scenario is when the owner of a dilapidated property cannot be identified. Will the proposed legislation do anything to tackle that scenario?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. You do not want me to get my supplementary questions in today at all. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Minister for his answer. Will he detail how he will ensure that vacancies will be filled in the seven sectors that he has identified as priority sectors for the Northern Ireland economy?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I thank the Minister for his answer. There is much to welcome there. Will the Minister give a view on whether he feels that there is a gap in the legislative protection for young people with special educational needs who are moving out of the school system? We seem to be lagging behind neighbouring jurisdictions in that regard.”
“I thank the Minister for coming to the Chamber today. Is she able to provide any clarification of whether the uncertainty surrounding the city deal funding extends to projects that rely on access to the complementary fund?”
“What steps will the Minister take to ensure that funding is equitably distributed among communities and football groups across Northern Ireland?”
“I thank the First Minister for her statement. I join my colleagues in welcoming the launch of the strategic framework today. A number of Members have referenced the importance of education in tackling violence against women and girls. Will the First Minister confirm what engagement she will have with the Education Minister to ensure that any interventions in our schools are accessed by all pupils in Northern Ireland and will not be a lottery based on the priorities that individual schools set?”
“However, more than that, an Executive sustainability plan is absolutely vital if we are to be responsible custodians of the resources that we have. Nowhere is that needed more than in education. We have a system that is full of committed and passionate educators and pupils who deserve the very best system in which resources are used effectively. They must not be held back by a system that is divided and in desperate need of reform.”
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, if we are discussing responsible and sustainable spending in education, I must highlight the issue of the Strule campus. Contractors have been appointed to deliver that £375 million project, but, in response to a question for written answer that I recently submitted, the Education Minister has confirmed that its business case was unable to demonstrate value for money. I can think of no other education capital project where that would be accepted. The investment in their buildings is, of course, welcome for those schools, but this is not a sustainable way to spend the Executive's money. <BR /> <BR />A better and fairer financial settlement is needed for Northern Ireland, as is real investment in public services in GB, which would lead to that flow of resource here.”
“That would require some capital investment — it is important to understand that — but we must begin to think more ambitiously around a programme that is focused on investing to save. <BR /> <BR />One area where there has been a commitment to transformation work, and it was committed to in the draft Programme for Government, is special educational needs. That is welcome, but the Education Minister must continue to prioritise a clear transformation action plan for SEN. I am very clear that that must be time-bound and have measurable outcomes by which we can measure success. Our SEN services must deliver early identification of need and early intervention to meet that. Investment in a broken system of SEN services will not deliver for our children, and a meaningful transformation action plan must be delivered without delay.”
“Therefore, I can see no commitment to tackling the issue, and that must change. Delivering on the clear public demand for integrated education is just one way that the Department could do that. Legal obligations exist in that space, and we need to see real progress on that front as part of any programme of transformation. <BR /> <BR />The independent review of education was very clear that our current configuration of schools reflects a divided system and creates inefficiencies. Modelling that was undertaken as part of that review was clear that the network of schools could be reduced and that that could generate an estimated cost saving of around £94 million per year.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that how we have ended up in this situation in our education system is a bit of a conundrum. There is a need for more investment in the system, but the question is about how we invest. We spend too much money on maintaining the divisions in the system, whether that is in a passive sense by not doing anything to tackle it, or, at times, by actively doing something. I appreciate the Member's comments. We are in a conundrum with this, and, often, ministerial questions do not draw out any clarity on that point, unfortunately. <BR /> <BR />I emphasise that the Education Minister has categorically stated in response to questions on the cost of division that he has no intention of carrying out any departmental audit on the cost of division to his Department.”
“The Education Department came out very quickly to reject those figures, but I am unaware of any work that has been done subsequently by the Department to assess the cost of division in education.”
“Suffice to say, we spend £450 less per pupil per annum than is spent in England. I have no doubt that we all agree that that is unsustainable and that more investment is required. However, the system that we invest that money into matters. Our education system in Northern Ireland is divided, complex and desperately in need of a programme of transformation. Any Executive sustainability plan must commit to "tackle the cost of division" — it is vital that that wording remains in the motion, particularly when we look at education in Northern Ireland — and it must deliver genuine transformation in our education system. <BR /> <BR />Research that was carried out by Ulster University into the cost of division in education in Northern Ireland suggested that it could run to the tune of £226 million per year.”
“Alliance has long highlighted the need for a fairer funding settlement for Northern Ireland, and we have been clear that the fiscal floor needs to be set at a level higher than 124% if we are to address the level of need, particularly in justice and policing, as we debated yesterday, and to address the years of underfunding of the Justice budget. The motion sets out clearly its call on the UK Government in that regard, and I hope that it receives support. <BR /> <BR />This afternoon, I will reflect on the wider issues around the need for transformation in our public services and for an Executive sustainability plan. I want to look particularly at issues in our education system. The financial pressures in the education system are well rehearsed, and I do not intend to go through them all in detail.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. I join my colleagues in confirming my opposition to the policy change. <BR /> <BR />Will the Minister consider releasing any resources or additional support to the independent advice sector, which already stands in the gap and provides a lot of assistance to people experiencing severe financial hardship at this time? The sector is likely to see a huge uptake of its services over the months ahead.”
“I thank the First Minister and the deputy First Minister for bringing the draft Programme for Government to the Assembly. I welcome the commitment to supporting children with special educational needs in the draft PFG. With that in mind, how will you ensure that the vital collaboration that is needed between Departments will be rolled out as part of this Programme for Government, to ensure that Education, Health and Economy genuinely work together in a way that is transformative and not tokenistic or tick-box?”
“We wish her all the very best for her recovery and hope to see her in four years' time bringing medals back to Strangford again.”
“Gathering in Newtownards after the success, people of all ages came together to celebrate. I must say that it was one of the most positive evenings that we have ever seen in the town, and I look forward to seeing what Rhys achieves in the years to come. <BR /> <BR />I also pay tribute to his coach, Luke, who believed in Rhys and put the work in with him. He has also committed to making the leisure centre in the town of Newtownards a centre of excellence for gymnastics, as well as an open and accessible space for aspiring gymnasts of all ages to come and learn from a gold medal winner. <BR /> <BR />We were very sad that Portaferry's own Ciara Mageean was not able to compete in the games due to injury. I have no doubt that had she competed, we would have been celebrating her success with medals coming home as well.”
“I thank the Member for bringing this Matter of the Day to the Floor. It is absolutely appropriate that we should start our business today by paying tribute to our athletes and their achievements in the Olympics and Paralympics. Members have already listed how successful our athletes from across Northern Ireland were in those events. <BR /> <BR />I reference in particular how proud I was to see the achievements of Newtownards athlete, Rhys McClenaghan, who won gold on the pommel horse in such spectacular fashion. Speaking afterwards, Rhys referred to it as the culmination of a 10-year plan. It was 10 years of work from his youth when a coach picked up on his talent and believed in him, and the two of them were prepared to put that work in to culminate in that achievement. It was truly inspirational.”
“I also welcome the Minister's commitment to promoting active travel to school. Is he able to confirm how much he will allocate to the active schools travel programme in this financial year?”
“<BR /> <BR />More widely, it also shows what we can do in schools when we engage children and young people in writing for a purpose: not written exercises that exist in a vacuum but writing that has an outworking in the real world on an issue that makes a difference to them. I put on record my appreciation of the work that Ballynahinch Primary School and the team there have done and, particularly, of Mrs Kirkland's P6 class for the amazing outcome that it has achieved.”
“<BR /> <BR />I was pleased to be able to advise the school, when I recently visited it, that both the organisations that they were campaigning with to deliver change — the Education Authority and the Department for Infrastructure — had agreed to take on board their concerns. They have approved the reinstatement of a school crossing patrol outside the school and agreed to add a pedestrian crossing to their programme of works for the year ahead. The class is delighted with that. It is important to pay tribute to the teaching staff in the school for getting the kids so engaged on the issue.”
“I pay tribute to a primary school in my constituency: Ballynahinch Primary School. I give it credit for the fantastic road safety campaign that the P6 class ran with its teacher, Mrs Kirkland. The class took the opportunity to write a really persuasive letter to every local representative about how unsafe the area outside the school is. I had the opportunity to meet that class and its teacher. The enthusiasm for engagement with the issue and with their local reps was obvious. It was inspirational to see what can be done when a group of schoolchildren is given the motivation and enthusiasm to engage in the democratic process.”
“Will the Minister give more detail on the support that is available to farms that will be impacted by the increase from 3 hectares to 5 hectares?”
“The Minister will be aware of how critical the delivery of the Ballynahinch bypass is for the area that Mr Harvey highlighted. Will the Minister confirm when we will receive a further update on the delivery of that scheme?”
“I thank the deputy First Minister for her answer. Given the debate that she referenced, in which the motion that called for a consultation on the issue of flying flags was passed, what specific work has been undertaken to progress that consultation?”
“Will the deputy First Minister confirm how the Programme for Government will align with the Executive's legislative programme and budget?”
“<BR /> <BR />Ciara, as mentioned, has done Portaferry proud. I listened to her mum on the radio this morning, and she has clearly made her family proud. They are overjoyed by her success, and the whole town of Portaferry is delighted with the result. Ciara has firmly put Portaferry on the sporting map, and she will inspire the next generation of athletes from the area. We all look forward with anticipation to the Olympic Games to see what Ciara can achieve there. <BR /> <BR />I will add that we have more Strangford representation at the Olympics, with Rhys McClenaghan competing in the pommel horse gymnastic event. I wish both athletes well, but, again, I congratulate Ciara for her phenomenal achievement in Rome.”
“Like other Members, I pay tribute to the achievements of Ciara Mageean, who is a Portaferry local, which is in the constituency of Strangford that I am proud to represent. Building on her previous bronze and silver medal successes at the championships, Ciara won gold yesterday evening in spectacular fashion. Anyone lucky enough to see the race will know that it started slowly, but it culminated in a phenomenal break from Ciara in the closing moments that saw her win in breathtaking style. The victory was undoubtedly the culmination of years of hard work and dedication when Ciara single-mindedly pursued her goal to win gold, overcoming injury and disappointment when she narrowly missed out on a medal in the world championships last year. It was undoubtedly one of the most exciting finishes to an athletics race that you could wish to see.”
“The Education Committee recently visited the forest school at Clandeboye and heard from a couple of primary schools about the transformative impact of quality outdoor learning provision. Are there any plans in the financial year ahead to release moneys from the Minister's capital budget to schools so that they can put in place quality outdoor learning provision?”
“When will the Minister respond to the recommendations from the independent review of education in relation to FE and HE?”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. He will be aware that a joint Economy and Education Committee met last week, at which officials from both Departments were clear that no action plan would be published in relation to the strand of work on careers advice that the Minister referred to. How can the Assembly hold your Department to account if there are no targets, benchmarks or outcomes against which to measure your work?”
“I thank the Minister for his statement, which is a welcome announcement. He will be aware that all research into best practice for place-based interventions shows that they work best when there is collaboration between Departments and the community and voluntary sector. How will the Minister ensure that he collaborates with Executive colleagues, the community and voluntary sector and other sources of funding to ensure that the interventions have maximum impact?”
“I call on all stakeholders involved in the dispute to use the short window of time available to find a solution.”
“Sensible, pragmatic politics will be required by all stakeholders to find a resolution to the dispute. <BR /> <BR />Our education system faces acute pressures on a range of fronts, and the pay and grading review is critical to tackling some of those, including, as I have mentioned, workforce issues and, particularly, special educational needs (SEN) reform, and to ensuring that schools do not face a protracted period of closure and disruption.”
“<BR /> <BR />The dispute sits in a slightly odd context in which the employer — the EA — has no financial levers to resolve the issue: it does not have the resource that it requires to deliver the pay and grading review. The matter sits under the responsibility of the Education Minister, and I welcome the announcement that engagement with the unions is under way. I urge the Minister and the unions to enter into meaningful negotiations to find a way to resolve the issue. Staff rightly feel let down by years of inaction, but, in our current financial context, a resolution must be found that is affordable to the Executive and can be accepted by the workers who are impacted. It will not be resolved by the Minister making unrealistic bids in the next monitoring round.”
“As far as I can tell, that was a delay that, ultimately, led to it not being included in the financial package to restore the institutions. Staff, rightly, feel let down by how the process has been handled over many years. Support staff in our schools, often working for low pay as classroom assistants, in transport and in kitchens, provide vital services to keep the system running. They should be paid fairly, and they should sit within a grading system that promotes career development and makes the roles viable, long-term options for the staff who carry them out. There is a workforce crisis in education, and the pay and grading review is essential to addressing that.”
“First, I welcome the news that the planned strike action by non-teaching staff unions is not going ahead today and that two unions have agreed to suspend action planned for Tuesday. That is welcome as a temporary reprieve, and it will bring relief to many parents and to students who are concerned about sitting examinations. Hopefully, it offers us a window of opportunity to resolve the long-running dispute over the pay and grading review. <BR /> <BR />The review was agreed with the employer — the Education Authority (EA) — back in 2019, and it is unacceptable that, in 2024, staff still await its implementation. It remains unclear to me why the EA's business case sat with the Department of Education from February 2023 until December of that year, before receiving sign-off by that Department and being passed to Finance.”
“All Members must show a commitment to a responsible approach to public finances and support that today.”
“I ask her for an urgent update on the engagement with Treasury in that regard and on how the entry into the pre-election period will impact on those deliberations. Ultimately, the pay and grading review sits with the Education Minister. He needs to clearly set out how he will resolve the impasse. It is an area that his Department is responsible for, and it affects every single school and thousands of staff members, so we need to hear from him on how he will address the crisis. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, this is not a Budget that anyone wants to vote for. It gives no one here any pleasure to do so. It reflects the dire position of our public finances and shines a light on the impact of Tory austerity, years of stop-start government and the lack of commitment over many years to public service transformation, but we do need a Budget.”
“We need a clear plan for how he will work with and pool resources with colleagues in Departments such as Health and Communities in particular to ensure that necessary and, ultimately, money-saving interventions are made in the areas of SEN, early years, tackling educational underachievement and the promotion of mental well-being in schools. Again, I call on the Minister to clearly set out his plans in that regard for the year ahead. <BR /> <BR />I cannot comment on the Budget without mentioning the lack of funding for the pay and grading review for non-teaching staff. It was profoundly disappointing that the Finance Minister was unable to find the resources to fund that in the Budget announcement.”
“That needs to change in the year ahead, and I urge the Minister to take forward urgent work in that regard. <BR /> <BR />Many debates in the House have referenced the need for Departments to work together over the course of the mandate to deliver meaningful early interventions. Nowhere is that more relevant than in Education. As we look at this hugely challenging budgetary position, we see that it is vital that the Education Minister clearly sets out how he will avoid late, wasted interventions in Education and fully utilise the Children's Services Co-Operation Act.”
“We absolutely need a better funding settlement for Northern Ireland — I think that every Member of the House agrees with that — but devolved Ministers must do their part. We need a plan to develop a truly inclusive education system that is not divided along community, socio-economic or supposed academic lines, but the Minister has been clear that he has no intention of bringing forward an audit of the cost of division across any of those lines and how they impact on his Department. The independent review set out a suite of measures that could be transformative in our education system and deliver the best outcomes for our children and young people more efficiently, but I see no urgency from the Minister to prioritise any work in that space.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. Yes, the pre-election period that we are moving into will present challenges in that regard, but I do not see how voting down a Budget today will help public services in any shape or form. It does not seem to me to be a constructive response to the difficult position that we find ourselves in. <BR /> <BR />I will go back to my point. It would create uncertainty for public services and, yes, given that context, make ongoing engagement with Treasury difficult. <BR /> <BR />As I mentioned, we are seeing an issue with strained budgets in all Departments. Education is no exception, but we are yet to see the Education Minister outline his commitment to transforming our system in any meaningful way by bringing forward a programme of reform.”
“<BR /> <BR />Despite that context, not passing this Budget would create further and unsustainable uncertainty for public services and disrupt ongoing engagement with Treasury. As other Members said, that engagement is crucial if we are serious about updating our funding formula and our fiscal framework to be reflective of need. Like all Departments, Education —.”
“It is beyond doubt that the absence of an Executive in recent years and periods of political uncertainty have significantly disrupted the Budget process here. Once again, we are scrambling to pass legislation that has received minimal scrutiny and oversight, and another period of suspension has left us voting on a Budget that is being passed at a rapid pace — not circumstances conducive to a proper review in the Chamber or in Committees. All parties must commit to reform of these institutions so that this never happens again. I fear, however, that some parties remain wedded to the destructive power of the veto in this place, perhaps while paying lip service to the need to do things better.”
“<BR /> <BR />The Committee has focused its work, in the main, on three key areas: SEN; tackling educational underachievement; and early learning and childcare. In the year ahead, despite the challenging financial position, the Committee hopes to see investment in those areas, with a commitment to deliver a programme of long-term reform being considered essential in the area of SEN. <BR /> <BR />I will now make some remarks in my capacity as an Alliance education spokesperson and MLA. We are, as every Member, without exception, has referenced, facing a hugely challenging budgetary position, owing largely, in my mind, to a prolonged period of austerity combined with our system of stop-start government here.”