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.”
The complete record
Every one of 1,029 lines we hold for Nick Mathison, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 21.
“<BR /> <BR />Finally, I hope that both Ministers will commit, under the provisions of the Children's Services Co-operation Act, to working in genuine partnership. I hope that we hear from the Education Minister today that he will ensure that, by working with the Health Department, we see a long-term, sustainable model to deliver those summer schemes, that we get safe medical provision in our special schools and that solutions will be delivered in that space. I hope that we get the answers that parents are asking for.”
“Absolutely. Both the Education Minister and the Health Minister have huge transformation agendas in their in trays. It is vital that we bring the public with us with confidence on those issues. <BR /> <BR />My next question is this: what will provision look like this year? I ask the Minister to address whether he has received assurances from his EA colleagues that those schemes can and will be delivered safely this year, not just when it comes to nursing provision but the whole provision. It is essential that we get clarity on that point, because parents are genuinely concerned. Has he received those direct assurances from his EA colleagues about the safety of the schemes in 2026?”
“It has been raised by other Members, and it is crucial that we get an answer on the record, because confidence among parents is at such a low ebb right now.”
“I hope that we can avoid playing politics with the issue, because parents are listening and seeking answers and clarity. That needs to be every Member's focus in the Chamber. It is not about who wins. Nobody wins today. We need our children with special educational needs and their parents to win. <BR /> <BR />My first question is this: if the issue was resolved over the course of a few hours on a Friday — I genuinely want to understand this, and parents are asking me this — why did the Education Minister and Health Minister let things go not just to the brink but right over it to the point of cancellation, throwing parents into complete panic, before they acted to resolve the situation? I genuinely seek clarity on that point.”
“As far as I can tell and as has been mentioned already, the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 should have kicked those two Ministers into action the moment that the fact that the schemes were at risk came on to their radar. Their decision not to intervene earlier is a failure of leadership, and parents, many of whom are here today, feel profoundly let down as a result. <BR /> <BR />Today, we really need answers. The Education Minister will make the formal response to the debate. I welcome his presence in the Chamber, and I hope that he will sincerely and graciously address the concerns of parents who are watching closely. I have a number of questions that I hope he can answer without deflection.”
“<BR /> <BR />If all that it took to resolve the matter was for the two Ministers to take a few hours on a Friday, give it a bit of attention and maybe nudge the arm's-length body or the trusts in the right direction, what on earth had they been doing in the previous months? We knew that those issues were brewing. Members are right: we knew that they were brewing. It had been raised at the Education Committee that the relevant director in the EA had highlighted nursing provision from the minute that he took up post as one of his priority actions to resolve, because he was so concerned about the issues. <BR /> <BR />As far as I can tell, the EA has been desperately trying to get engagement with the Health Department on those issues but it was not forthcoming, and both Ministers appear to have taken a back seat.”
“Both Ministers have confirmed that they were at that meeting. It is clear that they understood that nursing provision was essential in order for those schemes to go forward, yet — this is what I cannot understand — they both stood by and allowed the decision to be made to cancel the schemes. I cannot accept that they were unaware that that decision was about to be made on Wednesday last week. Does the Education Minister really expect us to believe that he takes an approach where he sits back and lets the arm's-length body make a decision that he does not consent to, agree with or believe that he has scope and capacity in his role as Minister to change? That appears to be what we are being asked to believe. Not only does that stretch credulity to the limit but it feels unforgivably insensitive to the impact on parents.”
“Absolutely. I concur with the Member. School principals across Northern Ireland have consistently raised with me their concern that we should not be operating a postcode lottery whereby some trusts provide nurses and others do not. That is an unacceptable state of affairs. <BR /> <BR />By extension, if there are concerns around the safety of provision in our special schools during term time, it is clear that those concerns and safety issues will be heightened when it comes to summer schemes taking place outside normal operating arrangements. The Health Minister and Education Minister know all that. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister made his first statement on the summer schemes and, specifically, the 2026 summer scheme, on 27 March, and it was very clear. He stated:”
“The original call in the motion was for the reinstatement of the summer schemes, but the motivation behind the motion and the recall was to ensure accountability for the decisions taken. Therefore, it is right that we still have the opportunity today to debate the issues and to try to understand the extraordinary chain of events that led to the schemes being pulled and, within 24 hours, reinstated last week. <BR /> <BR />It is important to be clear — many Members have reflected it already — that the concerns about the adequacy and safety of nursing provision in our special schools throughout the year have been well documented for years, and, by extension —.”
“Minister, later today, we will debate your party colleagues' motion, which sets out an argument that there should be a presumption against the establishment of new public bodies. With that in mind, what will the new managing authority do that the already established and active directorate in the EA that you have established, which, you have said, is working well and which has been positively received, cannot do under the existing structures?”
“I completely agree with everything that you are saying about child-centred approaches. Why, then, did the Minister focus on this as a budget-saving exercise when he announced the plans?”
“Alliance is up for the conversation on reform and how we can do that well, but we have to build confidence among the people who matter: the parents, the teachers and those in the system.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will finish by saying that, for me, the major disappointment about all of our discussion on the need to reform how we support classroom assistants and their work is that it is framed in the context of a budget plan. Regrettably, that starting point is what has lost the argument for the Minister in this case. When we are spending huge sums of public money, we, of course, need to be clear that it is being invested in ways that are effective, but, if the starting point is not what is right for the needs of children and their education, it is a losing battle to win that argument with parents and teachers. The EA and the Minister have a serious job to do to reset that balance and restore that confidence.”
“<BR /> <BR />I want to put this on record: it is important that we recognise that classroom assistants are not employed just to support learners with SEN. There is a cohort of classroom assistants who do really vital work at Foundation Stage in our schools every day. We should consider the approach of having classroom assistants in all classes in primary school as standard. Many principals highlight the fact that they feel that that would be an appropriate area in which to get early intervention right. If that support were built into the classroom as the default, it might reduce the number of children who end up needing statements. <BR /> <BR />I will not refer to the UNISON event — other Members have mentioned it — because time will beat me, but I pay tribute to UNISON's Good Work campaign. I am happy to support that.”
“That needs to change to ensure that classroom assistants receive the right terms and conditions, the appropriate pay for the work that they do and, really important — there is some welcome development in this space — the appropriate training to best meet the needs of the children and young people whom they care for every day. The Minister's launch last week of the training programme designed for classroom assistants who support children with SEN is undoubtedly a welcome step in the right direction. I acknowledge that, but we need to see more change in that space. We rely on classroom assistants to support the increasing complexity of need in our schools, so contract reforms, professionalisation of the workforce and improved pay are all part of the picture; it cannot just be training.”
“It is welcome to see the issue being debated on the Floor today. We might not agree on all the detail, but we all agree that classroom assistants play a vital role in our school communities. Alliance is clear that we recognise their hard work and the importance of their role in the education of our children and young people. <BR /> <BR />The value that classroom assistants bring, while acknowledged by all, is still, regrettably, not reflected in their pay or their terms and conditions. The use of temporary contracts provides no job security, and classroom assistants are often excluded from discussions on future policy in the very area that they are working in, which is often special educational needs.”
“Has the Minister had the opportunity to watch the Channel 4 documentary 'Dirty Business'? If so, what were his key takeaways from it?”
“Minister, under your proposals for A levels, it seems that we will move to a scenario where the majority of examinations are focused at the end of two years of study. Young people are clearly concerned that, rather than easing the pressure that you referred to, that will lead to higher pressure and higher stakes. How will you avoid such a risk?”
“I appreciate, Minister, that you might not have detailed meeting logs in front of you, but can you confirm whether that funding working group has facilitated direct engagement between the community and voluntary sector and the Northern Ireland Office on the local growth fund? Can you give any sense of when there might be light at the end of the tunnel for the charities and community and voluntary organisations that face a funding precipice at the end of March?”
“Thank you, Mr Speaker. I did not think that I would get to ask my question today.”
“— the best outcomes for children and ensuring transformation of the system.”
“I will be short on time. I will see how I go. <BR /> <BR />That needs to be the starting point if we want to be taken seriously and are not just about implementing cuts to the detriment of children's education. <BR /> <BR />In 2025-26, we had the eleventh single-year Budget in a row, and that was intended to be the last single-year Budget. Unfortunately, however, it remains to be seen whether we will be looking at a three-year Budget as we look to next year. We need to move to a system of multi-year funding of education to allow us to put the system on a sustainable financial footing and demonstrate that we are clear about transformation. That wider work of transformation must focus on delivering —”
“That will not build confidence among parents, and it will not build confidence among educators. Every decision taken on education must have the best interests of the child as its fundamental starting point.”
“I thank the Member for his intervention. I refer him to the "isolated pairs" research and the work done by the independent review of education, which sets out clearly where there are small rural schools sitting side by side serving two separate communities. When the Department of Education faces challenges of the scale that we have seen this year, we need to take seriously the challenges of structural reform. I urge the Minister to look at it seriously and commit to delivery in that space and not just to another review that will sit on the shelf. <BR /> <BR />I want to highlight some of the concerns around the Minister's five-year plan, especially around special educational needs (SEN). It is important that we do not frame potential changes to SEN support in the context of a budget plan.”
“With a 12·7% decrease projected by the 2033-34 academic year, the challenge to do something on the sustainability of the school estate is clear. There are also the ongoing costs of operating a divided education system. The Minister and his predecessors have done little to tackle that. Small schools often serve separate communities side by side. It is high time that that issue was tackled. <BR /> <BR />All parties will agree that our current education system is not providing the best outcomes for all children across the board. An influx of cash will always be helpful, but it would not solve all the problems nor is it the only solution that we should look to as we look at the financial pressures facing the Department.”
“In outlining his proposals, the Minister has acknowledged that years of chronic underfunding and limited structural reform in service delivery have combined to create a financial crisis in education. I will not hold the Education Minister responsible for the years of underfunding, but there is an irony in a party holding the brief for so long and doing nothing, as far as I can tell, to deliver financial reforms that would deliver a more sustainable education system. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to scrutinising the work that will come forward as part of that budget strategy. I urge the Minister to ensure that the work is meaningful and impactful, because pupil numbers are projected to decline rapidly.”
“Moves in that space, as far as I can tell, have been non-existent, and, in this year's budget, we see the outworking of that. The Minister's five-year budget plan is out for consultation. Elements of it will, no doubt, cause concern for parents and stakeholders, but the Alliance Party is clear that moves to create a more sustainable education system are essential: they are necessary.”
“Such impact came mainly through measures taken by the Education Authority (EA), not least the hike in the price of school meals that we saw in January, which had a disproportionate impact on those least able to afford it. <BR /> <BR />The Education Minister is, of course, facing an incredibly difficult challenge in managing his budget. Public services as a whole are chronically underfunded, and there are huge pressures in the Department, particularly the costs associated with delivering key responsibilities for special educational needs and school maintenance. However, we cannot ignore the fact that the DUP has held that Ministry for 10 consecutive years, and we have not seen moves towards any reform or transformation to put our education system on a sustainable footing.”
“With all the caveats relating to the difficulties and the overspend that has arisen — substantial concerns have been highlighted about the unprecedented sums this year — the Committee is content to commend to the House the Estimates and the Vote on Account. <BR /> <BR />I will make some remarks in my capacity as an Alliance MLA. I will not rehearse the numbers that have been at play, but I will pick up on some of the key policy considerations relating to the financial pressures in this year's Education budget. As referenced, the normally anticipated sums flowing from monitoring rounds have not come through, and we have therefore seen cost-saving measures in Education that directly impacted on children and young people.”
“The Committee, of course, welcomes that improvement in the Department's financial position but has considerable misgivings, as, I am sure, will be highlighted by a range of members, about where, in the coming years, responsibility for repaying that money will sit. I would be grateful, on behalf of the Committee, if the Finance Minister could provide some clarity on whether that will fall centrally or be the sole responsibility of the receiving Departments. <BR /> <BR />The financial context is challenging, and the Committee will continue to assist the Minister where it can with its scrutiny, in partnership with stakeholders. In challenging financial times, it will seek to present a way forward that addresses realities but remains child-centred.”
“However, at mid-year point, the Department reported a £310 million shortfall, which saw the Department unable to fund a range of pressures, often in areas of core statutory responsibility. At end of year, prior to the reserve claim announcement, certainly, little had changed, and, as Members will be aware, staggering sums for the overspend, in the region of £288 million, were floated. <BR /> <BR />As has been referenced by other Members, a reserve claim has been agreed with Treasury, of which the Department of Education will receive a further £214·6 million. That is reflected in the Estimates, and it lifts the Department's resource DEL from £3·36 billion to £3·58 billion.”
“<BR /> <BR />However, that lack of surprise does not equate to a lack of concern, as members are acutely aware of the extent to which financial pressures in education leave school leaders, teachers and support staff feeling as though they operate on the brink of system collapse. That should be a matter of grave concern for everyone in the House. <BR /> <BR />The opening budget was just over £3·2 billion plus an additional £50 million for the Executive's early learning and childcare strategy. I make it clear that the Department of Education did not start from a position in which small sums of money had flowed to it. In fact, the Department was looking at a 3·8% increase on its 2024-25 closing budget.”
“As Committee Chairperson, I will address the spring Supplementary Estimates and Vote on Account from the perspective of the Department of Education. Over the course of the year, the Committee has taken oral briefings from the Department on the resource budget, a written briefing on the capital budget, an oral briefing on December monitoring and a detailed written briefing on the Strule project. The Committee has therefore been well updated on the financial pressures, so the substantial areas of stress experienced by the Department in this year's financial settlement come as no surprise to Committee members.”
“Will the Minister confirm what resources he has committed to the delivery of the Irish language strategy, including how many officials are working on it?”
“Time was against us on so many issues due to the irresponsible collapse of our institutions that lost us two years of the mandate, two years when the big issues in Northern Ireland were left with no interventions. In the time that we have left, all steps necessary must be taken. Can there not even be a commitment for the legislation to at least be drafted, ready to land on the desk of the next Health Minister? To simply kick it into the next mandate with no work delivered now would be to profoundly let parents down and let down young people who have campaigned so hard for change. We must not let that happen.”
“The work done so far to deliver that has not been enough. It has tinkered, and it has largely been warm words, not tangible action. I have asked many questions to the First Minister and deputy First Minister to establish what they are doing to ensure that there is focus and commitment in all the relevant Departments to deliver on that promise to improve protections for young people with SEN when they leave school. So far, I can identify no clear ambition on their part to take hold of the issue and ensure that the coordination needed across Departments happens. We need to see leadership from them on the issue. <BR /> <BR />Our young people need a plan.”
“I know that their campaign will continue and that Alma and parents like her will keep fighting for legislation to ensure that our young people continue to receive services and support that meet their needs when they leave school, but I urge the Health Minister to look again at what can be done in this mandate. <BR /> <BR />We all know the challenges in the Minister's Department. They are well understood and should not be minimised. However, work needs to be done to address the issue now. We should not forget that it is a Programme for Government commitment. It states:”
“In answer to my question yesterday, the Health Minister confirmed that he would not legislate in this mandate to provide a statutory basis for the support provided to our young people with SEN and disabilities when they leave school. His answer was direct and honest but came as hugely disappointing news to parents across Northern Ireland desperately hoping for change in this mandate. Campaigners such as Alma White, who has spearheaded the Caleb's Cause campaign since the institutions returned and has done so much to raise awareness of the cliff edge facing our young people with additional needs when they leave school, will be understandably devastated by the news yesterday.”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you will be aware that a lot of contact comes through from parents who have children in special schools and are concerned about the transition out of the education system and their child losing the protection of their statement of special educational needs (SEN). Are you actively considering putting in place legislative protections to ensure that young people who will move into the health sphere following education have lifelong care and support plans that have statutory protection?”
“Ultimately, is the road safe and stable in the medium term, and, if not, what are the Department's plans to provide a safe and sustainable road to carry traffic from Portaferry to Newtownards? I welcome clarity on all that. <BR /> <BR />I will finish with a reference to the Tufty Club. You will be pleased to know, Mike, that it carried on right into the 1980s. I thoroughly enjoyed the lessons involving Tufty during my primary-school days.”
“I understand that a stretch of road coming out of Newtownards is already earmarked for emergency repair by DFI, and anyone who uses that road regularly will be aware of the multiple sections where the verge at the side is clearly unstable, where the sea wall is damaged and where the stability of the road is undoubtedly questionable. <BR /> <BR />I would really like the Minister to set out the strategic long-term plans for the road; how it is being protected from coastal erosion for the future; how the sea wall will be strengthened and enhanced; whether there are sections of coastal defences and rock armour that need to be repaired; and, indeed, whether rock armour is the appropriate response or whether other engineering interventions can be delivered to defend that road against erosion.”
“Those decisions can be revised, but, given the incidents that we saw, the public need confidence that those systems are in place. I am keen to hear from the Minister what systems currently operate in DFI on that engagement and those early alerts and what can be done to improve them. <BR /> <BR />The second issue that I want to raise is the longer-term picture for the road. A serious issue is arising. Coastal erosion has been a common theme among the other contributors today, but it is also about the severe weather incidents that are battering that road. The road was never designed to carry the volume of traffic that it currently carries, but there was probably no understanding that the impacts of coastal erosion would be so severe. There are genuine concerns about the long-term stability of that road.”
“Emergency services could not access those vehicles because it was not safe to get to them, and it was the local first responders who stepped up to help in the initial stages. That was a terrifying experience for the schoolchildren on the bus and for all the road users who were caught up in that. I would have thought that, with a proper early warning alert system, that could have been avoided. <BR /> <BR />We need clarity on who is responsible for that to ensure that the relevant agencies, Translink, local schools and the public, through whatever channels can be utilised — perhaps through the local council — can be given early warnings about the safety of using that road or otherwise and that can lead to early decisions on road closure.”
“I am very grateful to Kellie for securing this Adjournment debate today, which follows on from the debate brought by Michelle McIlveen in, I believe, 2024, because that stretch of road has been severely impacted. There have been some issues around road safety and tragic fatalities, but the recent weather events have had a profound impact on the road and have reduced the confidence of road users when it comes to using the road safely when we enter any period of bad weather. <BR /> <BR />There are two main issues that I want to highlight. First, as has been referenced already, there is a need for clear action when it comes to the approach taken to road safety in advance of severe weather events. We are all aware of the horrendous incident back in December, when school buses and multiple other vehicles were stranded on that coastal road.”
“I will not speak for long, because the issues have been covered very clearly by other Members but also because I am hosting an Education Committee event and have lots of stakeholders who are looking to speak to me about curriculum reform. I will probably have to dip out after this speech. I have a number of questions for the Minister, and I will certainly watch the debate recording to hear those answers. That can, maybe, be followed up in writing if need be. <BR /> <BR />It has already been referenced that severe weather events are becoming more and more common and are only likely to become more so as the impacts of climate change become more obvious. It is coastal communities and coastal road users, as Kellie so clearly articulated, who are often the most immediately and severely affected during severe weather events and storms.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I will be brief. The same 'A Fair Start' report stated that academic selection was a "systemic inequality". Should we not be trying to tackle that?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. Before he moves on from the point about choice, will he agree that, if you do not achieve the requisite score in your transfer test, a range of schools is immediately ruled out and you do not have choice? If the nearest non-selective school says that you must put it down as your first choice, once you have done that, you are ruled out from applying to other schools with the same criteria, and your choice is, in fact, limited.”
“— to reform, and we missed it. It is now time to —”
“Children should learn together with children from a diverse range of backgrounds in their community, where they can learn from one another and truly be prepared to live rich and fulfilled lives in society. <BR /> <BR />Back at St Andrews, agreements were made that have effectively allowed academic selection in by the back door in Northern Ireland. We had the opportunity —”
“As a party, Alliance has a vision for the future of our education system, one where pupils can succeed when they receive high-quality teaching in a supportive learning environment where there are high expectations of all pupils no matter what their economic background is and where that is combined with a nurturing and caring environment where there is a focus on pupils' mental well-being. That vision of success for our young people, regardless of their economic context, where they were born or the postcode area in which they grew up does not require us to engage in any form of testing of children in a high-stakes test at age 10 or 11 to somehow identify a sense of innate academic ability.”