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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“I thank the Minister for his answer. I do not dispute the fragility of those services. My understanding is that Redwood was due to be ready for use in September. That was the target that the Department suggested. Does the Minister agree that, when families who desperately need such provision see those deadlines pass, it erodes trust and hope? What commitment can he give to the Assembly that the repurposing will be delivered without further delay?”
“What performance indicators will the Department adopt in order to demonstrate how the transformation work is delivering tangible change rather than just stabilising a crisis?”
“I thank the junior Minister for that answer. Junior Minister, you stated in your answer that children displaced from their home in that way see a significant disruption to their education. Will you provide more detail on the Executive Office's engagement with the Education Minister about how that impact can be better mitigated?”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I am not going to downplay the resource challenges that we face, but does the Member agree that so much of what he highlighted about what schools can do on an innovative level does not require financial expenditure and that there are other levers at a policy level that the Department and the EA can implement to promote outdoor learning across all our schools?”
“It is not a call for funding, necessarily — investment will always help, of course — but it is a call to develop a strategy that sets out how the Department will promote, support and enhance outdoor learning in our schools. All pupils should be accessing it, regardless of age, school sector or setting. I hope that today is a step in a process that can get us to a point in Northern Ireland where learning outdoors is seen as being as much a part of education as what happens in the traditional classroom.”
“We should allow our schools to be creative in their approach. That is why a strategy is so important. It could bring together all the strands that are live in the issue: curriculum support; teacher continuing professional development (CPD); capital investment where it is needed; partnership working; initial teacher education (ITE); and real support and direction to ensure that all the learners in our schools, regardless of the size, location or setting of the school or the character of its current outdoor space, can access that vital outdoor learning. <BR /> <BR />I hope that all Members, including the Education Minister, will get behind the call in the motion.”
“There are many more agencies, and they are all keen to promote outdoor learning and to work in partnership to do that. <BR /> <BR />Recently, we saw the Minister's delivery of capital grants for outdoor play equipment. That interest in outdoor play was welcome. However, I emphasise — the Committee has heard it widely — that outdoor learning is about much more than the traditional view of outdoor play. It does not necessarily need big capital spend to work, so, when money such as that becomes available, I would love to see an emerging strategy give that flexibility to schools to use money and resources in ways that would work for them in their context, such as creating areas to rewild or grow vegetables, perhaps accessing training for teachers and creating storage areas for equipment.”
“It is not unreasonable to ask that a similar resource be created to reflect the Northern Ireland curriculum and the holistic arts and heritage that we have in our natural landscape. <BR /> <BR />Right now, there are so many opportunities. The curriculum task force work is under way, and it would be fantastic if we could, on the back of the motion, begin to see outdoor learning emerging as a thread that runs through any revised curriculum that materialises, empowering and equipping teachers to deliver learning in an outdoor context. There are partnerships across the sector that the Department can tap into to enhance outdoor learning. NIFSA has already been highlighted. We have the EA outdoor education resources; the outdoor education facility at Stranmillis College; PlayBoard NI and its work in this field; and Field Studies Ireland.”
“Evidence that has come through to the Committee about Scotland, Wales, England and the Republic of Ireland very much shows that Scotland appears to be the most significantly advanced in its approach to outdoor learning. They have developed a curriculum for excellence in outdoor education in 2010 and a national position statement on outdoor learning and play, which was published in 2018 and grounded in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The Scottish curriculum for excellence sets out an enviable set of curriculum resources to support the teaching of any topic for any age group in an outdoor setting. It features local heritage examples, such as using local heritage landmarks and local literature to enhance that learning.”
“<BR /> <BR />There is much good practice in the system. The Education and Training Inspectorate (ETI) review of outdoor learning in 2021 highlighted the amount of good practice that is out there, but it also identified some of the challenges, including inconsistency of provision; varying opportunities being made available to children on the basis of the outdoor space available in their school; and concerns about teacher capacity or confidence to deliver outdoor education. While we have seen brilliant examples of teachers who have really taken the lead on the issue — the Committee has heard from them — others remain lacking in the confidence to get the learning outside in the same way. <BR /> <BR />It is also important to consider what happens in other jurisdictions.”
“We are all too familiar with issues around children's screen time and the real challenges with mental well-being. Outdoor learning is one of the simplest and easiest ways to address those in the context of the school day. <BR /> <BR />I want to be clear that the Northern Ireland curriculum promotes outdoor learning. There are some excellent resources. I commend the work of the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) in that regard, especially in preschools and at Foundation Stage. As children move up into post-primary school, however, there are no bespoke resources delivered by CCEA. That, regrettably, sends a message that outdoor learning ends in primary school. That shouId absolutely not be the case, and we should look at this across the age ranges in our system.”
“<BR /> <BR />There are many definitions of "outdoor learning", but one aspect is key: it is not a stand-alone subject on the curriculum but an experiential approach to education that takes the classroom and the curriculum outside. It should not need to be fitted in as an extra. Teachers in schools that have embraced outdoor learning highlight just how much it enhances the engagement that learners have with the curriculum. It is not something that we need to find time for when the real learning is done; it is real learning in its own right. Outdoor learning enhances physical and emotional well-being. It develops a love and respect for nature, promotes an inclusive approach that can be accessible to all learners and brings the curriculum to life outside of the constraints of the traditional classroom.”
“<BR /> <BR />The motion calls for the development of weekly outdoor learning opportunities for all learners aged three to 16 and for the Minister to develop, in partnership with the wider sector, an outdoor learning strategy. The strategy should address barriers to outdoor learning, be they resource, curricular, issues at school leadership level, teacher capacity and confidence or time available in the school day. The Committee has been clear — it has been really welcome to see an issue around which the Committee has united — that outdoor learning is real learning. It enhances access to the curriculum and should be embedded in a pupil's learning journey at all ages.”
“At the stakeholder event, presenters were unanimous in commending the benefits of outdoor education for learning and development and brought with them many examples and outcomes that demonstrated why they were convinced of the need for it to be addressed more fully in our system in Northern Ireland. The Committee has undoubtedly heard evidence widely on the issue. I thank Gillian Kane and the Research and Information Service (RaISe) team for comprehensively collating all the material from the range of evidence sources that we received and from the literature more widely to help inform our thinking and today's motion and debate.”
“NIFSA worked with us to develop our Committee stakeholder event on the issue. It took place on 19 March 2025, when NIFSA representatives, plus representatives from Stranmillis University College, St Mary's University College Belfast, Ulster University, Queen's University Belfast, the Scottish Outdoor Learning Association (SOLA), Inspiring Scotland's Thrive Outdoors programme, Field Studies Ireland, the Irish schools inspectorate, Scouts Northern Ireland and Scouting Ireland, among others, gathered in the Long Gallery to discuss the role of outdoor education in our system. <BR /> <BR />On other occasions, we have had valued input from Education Authority (EA) outdoor education settings; in particular, the Committee received detailed evidence and reflections from Magilligan Field Centre.”
“<BR /> <BR />That strategic priority built on a legacy commitment of the previous Committee to visit the Northern Ireland forest school. Earlier this term, the Committee went to the Northern Ireland Forest School Association (NIFSA) site hosted by the Dufferin Foundation at Clandeboye to hear from the forest school leaders and to carry out strategic planning for the mandate. I am sure that many Members have had the opportunity to visit the forest school and will concur with me about the brilliant work that is delivered there. <BR /> <BR />The motion explicitly states the Committee's appreciation of the input of the Northern Ireland Forest School Association, which really has helped shape the Committee's thinking about and engagement with the policy area of outdoor learning.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. When the institutions were restored in 2024, the Committee for Education identified a number of strategic priorities, one of which was outdoor education. As Chair of the Committee, I have tried to ensure that a focus on that priority is retained. We all know the competing priorities in education and the impact that constrained budgets have on the Department's work and priorities. I have, however, been clear and the Committee has been united in its view that outdoor education should not be seen as a "nice to do" or an optional extra to learning in our schools. Outdoor learning enhances and deepens children's engagement with the curriculum and is a key tool for promoting the health and well-being of the children and young people in our schools.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I will be very brief. Much of what you have said has referenced how robust our regime is. Would we not, therefore, be better focusing on effective but cheaper local solutions to deal with issues as they arise?”
“I thank the Minister for that helpful intervention. I am conscious that I am running out of time. <BR /> <BR />I commend the Alliance amendment to the House. I think that we agree on more than we disagree on in the debate. Whatever comes out of the debate, it would be good if a clear message went out to people across Northern Ireland that the Assembly is united on this as a serious issue that causes real distress, that it is not inconsequential and that we should make a proportionate and effective response. <BR /> <BR />I will finish my remarks by saying, Mr Frew, that I recall indoor firework displays. They were the highlight of many's the Halloween in my granny's house in Monkstown, so thank you for reminding me of that.”
“— for that intervention. I was going to say that some of the licensing provisions cover that, but the Minister can speak to that more effectively than I could.”
“I will give way if I have time. Let me just finish some of my remarks. <BR /> <BR />The effective intervention in this space is much more likely to be tougher penalties that could result in more effective prosecutions. <BR /> <BR />I have referenced the local interventions that are likely to be relevant, such as neighbourhood police teams proactively engaging on the ground during October. All of us have a responsibility to engage with our local PSNI teams on those issues and to look at what PCSPs can do. Those creative local solutions have been referenced already, and I would like to see all of us in the Chamber getting around to constructively support them. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Members who tabled the motion. I will give way to Mr Butler, and then I will conclude my remarks.”
“Let us not pretend to the public that we can do something about that with a legislative review; let us focus on what we can do to tackle the irresponsible use of fireworks. That is where the review of sentencing provisions is relevant. <BR /> <BR />It is welcome that the Minister set out clearly the intentions to address the issue in the upcoming sentencing review by including penalties for the illegal use and sale of fireworks. That feels like the appropriate targeted and proportionate response. As I said, as a dog owner who fully understands the impact of fireworks and the distress that they cause, I am clear that a review of legislation would not reduce those noise levels or stop those who are engaged in antisocial behaviour at 2.00 am, setting off fireworks that they have acquired illegally. That, clearly, is a matter of enforcement.”
“Thankfully, he is white — he is a little West Highland terrier — which made it easier, as he stood out very obviously against the dark night. He was utterly distraught, and it has become worse year-on-year. It is so upsetting to see the distress that is caused by fireworks. To be clear, as an animal lover and a dog owner, I completely understand the concerns and have been contacted by constituents about them. <BR /> <BR />Illegal and irresponsible firework use can be problematic and distressing, but the key problems that have been highlighted are noise and illegal and antisocial use. The Minister has been clear that we do not have the legal power here to deal with the decibel levels of fireworks.”
“I thank the Member for that intervention. That is exactly my point: local solutions would be far more effective than a costly review of legislation. <BR /> <BR />I thank the Members who tabled the motion. We may disagree on the right approach to deal with this, but we all agree that the irresponsible use and, particularly, the illegal use of fireworks causes huge distress and is a massive issue of animal welfare in particular. <BR /> <BR />I was keen to speak to the motion because I am the owner of a very anxious dog. Dexter came to us as a foster dog a number of years ago. On the first Halloween after we got Dexter, he escaped in absolute distress. I had a night that I do not want to repeat, running around the streets of Newtownards in the darkness trying to find a dog.”
“Briefly. I do not get any extra time, so I cannot guarantee that I will take any others.”
“I rise to wind on the Alliance amendment. In the main, there is an awful lot that we agree on in the Chamber on the issue. We all need to acknowledge that, and it would be a shame if something positive did not come through because of minor differences on the right way to approach things. <BR /> <BR />A lot of what people have been speaking about is the need for a better strategy for tackling the illegal use of fireworks, the need for better education, the need for engagement with PCSPs at local level and the need for the PSNI to take on proactive education programmes. There is a role for neighbourhood policing there. There is a lot of stuff that does not require legislation. We need to acknowledge that we probably agree on the vast majority of the issues being discussed.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. He made repeated references to noise levels of fireworks. Does he concede that we do not have jurisdiction over that in Northern Ireland because it is a reserved matter? We should not pretend to the public that a review will result in a change in that.”
“I thank the Member for giving way. I appreciate his tabling this important motion. I just want to get clarity. The motion calls specifically for a legislation review, but a lot of his comments have centred on education, a strategy and better enforcement. Which is it? Is the legislation not right, or is he looking for better practice in enforcing it?”
“I thank the Minister for that answer. As the Minister with responsibility for further education, how will you ensure that, when the legislation is delivered, our young people, regardless of what school or school sector they are in, are given the full suite of options and pathways available to ensure that access to further education pathways or apprenticeships are promoted to all our young people, and that we do not end up, by virtue of that legislation, locking them into pathways that are not right for them?”
“I thank the Minister for his work in that area. Following on from that answer, what support can he offer to farmers who are on the higher level of the environmental farming scheme (EFS), which is due to close in December 2025?”
“Parents, schools and suppliers need clarity, but, with the prospectus deadlines nearly upon us, I am struggling to see how that can be provided. <BR /> <BR />If we were going to see schools act on the cost of uniforms, draft guidelines should have been provided months ago. Right now, we know as little about the impact of the Bill as we did when it was introduced. Let us not miss the boat on delivering and get the guidelines out so that schools can update their policies and make the changes that parents need.”
“<BR /> <BR />I think that we in the Chamber are all in agreement that we want the cost of uniforms to come down, but it looks as if we are heading into a scenario in which policies will be retained or revised before the guidelines can be reflected. Time is simply running out. <BR /> <BR />I am speaking in my capacity as a private Member, but I was clear when I argued for a longer Committee Stage that it was always better to take the time to get the Bill right rather than to rush it and end up in the strange grey area that we now exist in. Schools are being asked to reflect guidelines that they have not seen or, at best, will see very late, and then reflect them in policies before the Bill even has Royal Assent. That feels like uncertainty rather than clarity.”
“If anything is changing in a school's policy, it will need to have consulted its pupils and parents and it will certainly need to have let suppliers know. <BR /> <BR />Surely we want schools to be reflecting the new guidelines in their policies, but it now seems that no matter how quickly they appear, they will simply not have the time to reflect them in their new policies. For a start, I do not think that suppliers will be able to deliver that, and the cut-off dates for prospectuses are fast approaching. Writing a new uniform policy is not something that can be done on the back of an envelope. Aside from consultation and supplier engagement, boards of governors need to meet to scrutinise and approve new policies.”
“I rise to highlight the need for the provision of new guidelines arising from the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill. We heard repeatedly how important it was to deliver the Bill quickly to enable schools to reflect the new guidelines in their prospectuses for the 2026-27 academic year. I declare an interest as a governor of a local primary school. <BR /> <BR />In an answer to a recent question that I asked on the issue, the Minister stated that primary schools needed to have their prospectuses published by 26 November, and post-primaries by 16 December. There was some suggestion that there could be flexibility, but the clock is most definitely ticking. Any school that needs to change its policy will need to have that written in now.”
“I thank the Minister for his answer. Obviously, we are all clear on the scale of the financial pressures both on education more widely and on the EA. Does the Minister accept that last week's announcement in a press release that was light on detail caused a degree of unnecessary alarm among parents, who did not understand the outworkings of the savings plan that was being announced? How will he ensure that the communication that parents now need, particularly on home-to-school transport, is delivered clearly so that they know where they stand?”
“I thank the Minister for that detailed update. Will she provide an update on the latest round of funding under the domestic and sexual abuse strategy small grant scheme?”
“Minister, thank you for your statement. Will you outline in more detail the advantage of establishing an environmental protection agency as a non-departmental public body?”
“The Minister is right to remind us repeatedly of the absolute violence and horror that was perpetrated on 7 October. There will be no equivocation on that point from the Alliance Party, but, as our Education Minister, who should have the interests of all children at the heart of the work that he does, will he take the opportunity also to express publicly sympathy and support for the children of Gaza, who have no schools to attend and who have been killed in their thousands since 7 October?”
“Minister, it would be helpful to understand in detail why RE was not included in the strategic review of the Northern Ireland curriculum. Was that a missed opportunity to get robust assurances that what all children are learning in RE is fit for purpose and appropriate, given that it is not subject to the normal inspection regime as other subjects are?”
“Lessons should be learned, and I welcome any improvements that can be made to the timeliness and effectiveness of communications with school leaders about storm closures. I note that the Minister of Education has already requested a short, sharp review of the internal processes in Education, and I hope that that review will deliver improvements quickly and effectively. It is welcome, but, if a wider, cross-departmental view could bring about better alignment, I would welcome that. I hope that we see progress on cross-departmental working on the issue, and I am content to support the motion.”
“The delay in communications appearing on social media also added to the confusion. Again, early decisions the previous day could have avoided all of that. The effect was pressure on school leaders and on parents. School leaders reported a sense of communication overload. They were being bombarded with contact from parents on social media, by email and by phone and were then having to try to navigate the internal processes of the EA. <BR /> <BR />In short, when we have time to make decisions earlier, we should do so. Of course, there is always the risk of being damned if you do and damned if you do not. It is sometimes hard to call it right, but, when we have it, we should be in a position to give our officials and school leaders the appropriate notice. <BR /> <BR />I concur entirely with the motion.”
“School leaders needed time to manage the closures, so it is hard for me to understand why a call could not have been made the previous evening to give schools the time to plan and communicate clearly and effectively with parents. <BR /> <BR />Breaking down the closures by county, which has also been highlighted, undoubtedly created confusion. Parents were uncertain where Belfast fitted in. Despite the Met Office's warning map not covering all of Country Antrim, the EA closure notice gave blanket effect to the whole county, which caused further confusion. That could have been avoided through earlier and clearer communications. <BR /> <BR />The communications on transport and school meals were also slow, often not landing until after the closures themselves had kicked in.”
“<BR /> <BR />The key was the appropriateness of when the notice about closure was received by the affected schools. For many, it was at the very moment that children were being brought in through the school gates and parents were driving away to their workplaces that emails landed stating that schools needed to close. That was at a time when many principals were nowhere near their email accounts and were instead at the school gates bringing children in to start the school day. That created an entirely unacceptable level of pressure, with principals then being tasked with reaching parents almost immediately after they had left school premises to go to work. Parents then had to arrange childcare and get back to the school.”
“If you err on a point of fact, it is important to note that. <BR /> <BR />As Members have already said, the motion refers to "delayed and inconsistent messages" being delivered to schools about closures as a result of storm Amy. I concur that lessons need to be learned. Pupil and staff safety is key, of course. Robbie Butler highlighted the critical issue of the risk to life that is associated with storms. That must always be the priority when we consider such matters. It cannot be denied, however, that communications to schools about storm Amy came too late, and that did not help anybody in providing the right response. The timeline that was in operation for arriving at the school closures placed unnecessary pressure on school leaders and parents.”
“I will speak on the issue from an education perspective, as schools are referred to specifically in the motion. My colleagues will cover some of the wider issues. <BR /> <BR />I made a Member's statement on the handling of school closures during storm Amy, and much of what I will say today will reflect those comments. I want, however, to correct the record. I said in my statement that an amber weather warning was in place from 1 October. It has since been drawn to my attention that, in fact, a yellow warning was issued at that stage, with the amber warning not kicking in until the evening before the storm. That undoubtedly impacted on the planning considerations that would have been in play in the EA, so I feel it important to put that on record, as EA officials raised that issue with me directly.”
“Can the Minister outline how much resource his Department will need to implement the fuel poverty strategy?”
“Given the seriousness of the issue, I would have hoped that more effort could have been made to ensure that there was broad and wide consultation with the families affected by the decisions, since it was about the care of their children. <BR /> <BR />Significant questions remain regarding the future of nursing provision in special schools. I urge the Health Minister to provide urgent clarity on how he will address those. It is a vital service, which, at times, can provide life-saving interventions. Its need must not be underestimated, and full nursing provision in special schools must be reinstated as soon as possible.”
“While aspects of the report, which has been published, are encouraging, particularly on the need to listen to the lived experiences of children and young people and the need for better cross-departmental collaboration between Health and Education, the report gives no clarity on whether nursing provision will be restored in the settings in which it has been lost or protected in those that still have it. Parents and principals were left in limbo for almost a year waiting for the outcome of the review, and, following the report's being published, they are still no clearer on what the Minister will do. <BR /> <BR />It is also concerning that only six families from two of the five trust areas were interviewed on the issue to inform the evidence for the report.”
“Principals have been clear about the incredible amount of stress that that places on all staff in special schools and about the fact that while classroom assistants provide fantastic support in the classroom, they are not medical professionals with the clinical expertise that is required to deliver that kind of specialised support. It also places them in an incredibly vulnerable position with their personal liability when care plans do not go to plan. <BR /> <BR />Following engagement between the Health and Education Ministers, the Health Minister gave an assurance that the issue would be considered as part of a wider PHA review of the population health needs of children attending special schools in Northern Ireland. A response to a question for written answer from the start of September assured me:”
“Over a year ago, I was contacted by a group of concerned special school principals regarding removals that had taken place and planned removals of nursing provision in their schools. That progressive chipping away of an essential service is happening at a time when we are hearing, more and more, about the increasing complexity of need, particularly medical needs, in our special schools. <BR /> <BR />Nursing provision in special schools is essential. The suggestion that classroom assistants can simply take over those duties — duties that were previously undertaken by a medical professional — as proposed by the Public Health Agency (PHA), is simply unfair.”