Michelle Guy
Lagan Valley · Alliance Party · Northern Ireland
“It can be seen from those quotes that the issue impacts on girls in a real and practical way. If they feel too uncomfortable to be in school, it is impacting on their access to education. If they hold back in PE or while playing at break or lunch, what does that say to them about how we value exercise and sport?”
“Essentially, he was saying that we had to draw the line somewhere, and the automatic right of girls to be allowed to wear trousers is where that line has been drawn. <BR /> <BR />Some will play down the issue and say that it is relevant in only a small number of schools.”
“When I explain what the legislation would do, the reaction from people is almost always the same. They ask, "Are you seriously saying that, in 2026, girls can't wear trousers in school?". The answer is that they do not have that right.”
“The Assembly should support the Bill. I again ask the Minister to save us time by simply updating the statutory uniform guidelines. I find the DUP position of enabling the Bill to progress to Committee Stage while its Minister is against it to be quite bizarre.”
“<BR /> <BR />I question why that basic request from girls and young women is being denied or is deemed to be unimportant. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that some people — mainly men — still want to control what women wear.”
“I take the Member's point. Ultimately, however, the person who could make the change is the Minister, and he has decided not to. Saying that schools have a choice or that they have autonomy does not absolve the Minister from his ultimately having responsibility to be able to make that change.”
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“It is an extraordinary achievement that, when anyone hears the words "post 19", they think of Caleb's cause. As we have acknowledged, credit for that goes to Alma White, who is a force of nature, and the community of families who stand with her and Caleb. It is a community that forces us to see it and the crisis that it is in, because we have an incoherent, disparate system that, it feels, is set up to frustrate and defeat families into giving up rather than guide them towards support. <BR /> <BR />The motion is welcome, but it is a source of frustration that, at this stage of the campaign, neither the motion nor the amendment includes the words "complex needs". There is also a sense that the Health Minister is best placed to make progress on the key asks of Caleb's cause and should be here responding.”
“Thousands of women were put through a traumatic review process: that is the least of the harm. Two young women died: that is the worst of the harm. <BR /> <BR />Minister, you have endorsed the report; in fact, you have used it as the basis of your decision to deny the families a public inquiry. Will you apologise for the cold and insensitive nature of that comment?”
“In the report, Sir Frank Atherton explicitly states:”
“<BR /> <BR />It is not about burden but about opportunity. Investing in services for autistic children and young people in school, ensuring that they do not fall off a cliff edge as they move into adulthood will result in individuals who are able to reach their potential and families who are supported to live full and meaningful lives.”
“For many families, the transition to adulthood is not experienced in a supported and structured way; rather, families simply have to fight to establish what support exists for their young person after school. <BR /> <BR />Alongside the challenges, however, there are real opportunities. When we get support right, the outcomes are transformative. I recently visited Beechlawn School in Hillsborough, where many of the pupils are autistic, often with additional needs. Many had previously struggled to deal with anxiety or disengagement, but now the children in that school are thriving. They are happy, confident and achieving incredible things. The staff are ambitious for them, and it shows, from award-winning creative work to enterprise achievements. That is what is possible when the right support is in place.”
“That is not a criticism of our schools: many of them are doing everything that they can but simply do not have the resources or the facilities required. <BR /> <BR />The consequences are clear: anxiety, school refusal, behavioural challenges and disengagement. Even when schools seek additional help, too often that support is not there. The introduction of local impact teams has not delivered what was hoped for, largely because of staff shortages. Without proper investment, we will simply see longer waiting lists and growing unmet need. <BR /> <BR />Then, of course, there is the issue of transition, which is where the amendment strengthens the motion.”
“I also welcome the fact that the proposer of the amendment has recognised that those gaps affect not only autistic young people but many others with additional needs across our system. Many of us in the Chamber are familiar with the tireless advocacy of Alma White. Caleb's Cause has helped shine a light on the trauma of navigating post-19 services. <BR /> <BR />The Autism Reviewer's annual report highlights serious concerns. One of the most fundamental barriers is simply not having a school place. As I stand here today, hundreds of children with SEND, including many with autism, still do not have a confirmed place for September. That has become far too common, and it is unacceptable. Even when a child has a place, it is often not suitable for their needs.”
“Pathways become unclear; protections fall away; and families are left to battle multiple systems simply to secure basic continuity of care, education or support. That is why I am happy to support the amendment, which highlights the lack of equivalent legal protections and structured pathways for young people here compared with those in England, where support can be provided up until the age of 25. <BR /> <BR />Importantly, the amendment also recognises something that families repeatedly tell us, which is that such failures do not impact on the autistic person alone. They impact on entire families, including parents, siblings and carers, who are left carrying enormous emotional and practical pressures, often with inadequate respite or transition support.”
“<BR /> <BR />I will touch on some of the challenges in the education system for autistic children and young people and their families, but I also want to highlight the opportunity that we have if we get this right. Thankfully, there is greater awareness of autism across our education system. That has come from years of advocacy by families and organisations. Many schools are making real efforts to support autistic pupils, and such changes often benefit every child in the classroom. Despite that progress, however, services and support have not improved significantly. In some cases, particularly over the past year, they have deteriorated. <BR /> <BR />One of the clearest examples of that deterioration is the experience that many families face when their child approaches adulthood. Too often, parents describe a cliff edge of support post 19.”
“I will focus on autism services for children and young people, particularly those in the education system. Before I do so, I will begin by saying that there is still huge misunderstanding in society and even, at times, in the Chamber of autism and autistic people. Every person is an individual, and autistic people are no different. They have different needs, abilities and outlooks. Some require additional support, while others do not. There are autistic people in every walk of life. They are surgeons, judges, police officers and, indeed, MLAs. Providing the right services should not be viewed as a burden or an add-on. It is about making essential adjustments so that autistic people can thrive.”
“<BR /> <BR />I hope that we can get to a point at which a fair multi-year Budget can be agreed. We are already hearing about the uncertainty that is being caused by not having an agreed Budget in place. School leaders are getting in touch with me, concerned that funding for particular programmes will disappear. Vital organisations such as TinyLife are left not knowing whether funding will be in place. <BR /> <BR />I hope that greater cross-departmental work can be done to make the Budget go further and that people, especially children and young people, are placed at the centre when it comes to how the Budget is spent.”
“In February, the Minister of Education at least finally acknowledged, in his five-year budget strategy, that there are major structural issues, but it is now late in an already shortened mandate. For example, the opportunity to establish a planning commission to analyse our school estate could have been done already. <BR /> <BR />I do not pretend that achieving those reforms will be easy, but Ministers are paid to make difficult decisions, not easy ones. I agree with the Minister's point in his budget strategy that classrooms should be protected. We should be making decisions in the best interests of children and young people, and that has not always happened to date. Too often, the current system favours sectors, and those sectors have been protected.”
“Those pressures are rightly recognised in the independent review of education. They include the fact that our school estate is simply too big right now, with duplication built into the system, which results in, for example, further education colleges competing directly with schools for pupils, and the fact that vast bureaucracy has been protected in our system rather than be stripped back. For example, we have numerous management authorities instead of a single one. <BR /> <BR />Finally, the real frustration for me is the procurement system, which leads to rip-off costs for our schools. <BR /> <BR />The core points that I have outlined were reflected in the independent review of education when it was published back in 2023, but, to date, we have not seen any meaningful reform.”
“There is no doubt that huge inefficiencies and duplication of spending undermine the Department. Those issues have not been addressed in years of DUP leadership. <BR /> <BR />More than that, the current Minister of Education calls out budget pressures while, at the same time, authorises spending significant sums of money on events, trips to Florida, phone pouches and a vast array of consultants. We continue to scrutinise projects such as the Strule campus, which has an overspend of more than £220 million and was defined explicitly in the independent review of education as not representing value for money. That contradiction is hard to take for education professionals who find themselves in crisis. <BR /> <BR />Thirdly, the pressures in education are not new. They are deeply embedded and have been developing for years, if not decades.”
“Major structural reforms are needed in education but have not been possible because other parties continue to place their politics above the people of Northern Ireland. <BR /> <BR />Secondly, the independent review of education report stated:”
“Last week, while on a number of school visits, I had genuine well-being concerns about the school leaders who are trying to operate in the most difficult circumstances imaginable. They are faced with huge crises as they try to do their best for the children coming to school every day. The pressure feels unbearable, because the support for school leaders is simply not there. That makes them believe not that the system is about to collapse but that it has already collapsed. <BR /> <BR />All our public services, including our education system, need adequate funding, but, with that acknowledgement, a number of truths need to be pointed out. First, the constant collapse of this place has harmed our education system, and that is blatantly obvious.”
“I am sure that Members see the reality when they visit schools in their constituency. It is obvious from the physical state of some of our schools, where roofs are falling in, water is flooding classrooms and mould is growing on walls. It is obvious from the lack of support that our teachers and staff receive to meet the needs of children. It is obvious from the huge debts in which many schools find themselves.”
“I will focus my remarks on education. I start by acknowledging how tough the financial circumstances are in our education system right now.”
“Given the constrained budget context facing the Minister, the quality of repairs carried out by her Department must give constituents confidence that money is not being wasted. Recently, in Moira, the repairs carried out on footpaths to make them safe were so poor that they created a hazard. What is the Minister doing to claw back public money that has been wasted on shoddy workmanship?”
“I thank the Minister for his response. The documentary 'I am not Okay' laid bare the dire circumstances that so many of our families with children with complex needs are living with. In response to that programme, the Minister announced £13 million to deal with the issues that those families were experiencing. I have to say that that announcement is looking increasingly cynical because those families are still "not Okay". Will the Minister provide a full breakdown of how the £13·1 million investment into children's social care and respite services for the past financial year was spent? Specifically, how much has been spent on delivering beds for respite?”
“I will continue to press the UK Government to address that clear inequality. I call on the Education Minister to look at how families who are excluded from tax-free childcare by that administrative anomaly in Westminster can at least be brought into the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme. <BR /> <BR />At a time when families are struggling, our Ministers, who have the power to act and make a difference to the cost that families pay, should do just that.”
“I will highlight an issue that impacts unfairly on families across Northern Ireland who are denied access to vital childcare support. Tax-free childcare is aligned to the English school year, which means that, in Northern Ireland, children born in July and August can miss out on up to a full year of support during their final year of primary school. <BR /> <BR />That is not the only impact. To access the Northern Ireland childcare subsidy scheme, parents must be in receipt of tax-free childcare, so the parents who are impacted on are hit twice. That is an untenable position at a time when childcare costs remain high and families are in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. <BR /> <BR />I raised the matter at the Education Committee and directly with the Finance Minister.”
“I have no issue with the amendment, especially in light of the Children's Law Centre's intervention last week. The volume and pace of the reforms coming at schools are overwhelming. That will be illustrated in the debate, but it risks doing more harm than good. Today is about SENCOs and their specific needs, so I appreciate the SDLP working with us to ensure that that remains the focus today. <BR /> <BR />With a year to go in the mandate, I hope that this is an area where cross-party support and focus can bring about improvements for those vital workers, who dedicate their professional careers to supporting children, families and teachers. We all owe them a huge debt of thanks for holding together a system in crisis.”
“The SENCO role is very specific. It deals with specific processes and pressures related to the SEN system. SENCOs are clear about what needs to change. Paperwork needs to be reduced and systems streamlined so that they can spend more time with children, staff and families. The complexity of the role needs to be acknowledged through pay and the provision of non-teaching roles. The professionalism of SENCOs needs to be recognised, and they need to be trusted in the system. The support system needs to be properly invested in and implemented consistently. What the Minister announced today does not even attempt to address those things. Generic whole-school admin support is not nearly tailored enough to help. <BR /> <BR />Before I wrap up, I will address the SDLP amendment, although I know that it will not be moved, which is welcome.”
“I even teased it with some of the group with whom I had been in touch, but, ultimately, it reflected how they already feel: ignored, marginalised and misunderstood.”
“They went through the appeals process, and I requested a review of the decision by the EA. On the same date, the SENCO received a letter outlining that the statement process would go ahead. I received a contradictory letter from the EA explaining why the original decision to refuse the statement was the right one. How are SENCOs meant to navigate that? <BR /> <BR />The motion calls for the Minister to undertake a workload review. That could be a short process that resets communication between our SENCOs and those leading the transformation programme corporately. Coming into today, there was hope that the Minister's workforce announcement this morning would provide something specific and meaningful for SENCOs.”
“That last line is really important. They are not attributing overwhelm to the number of children; they are attributing it to the increased bureaucracy resulting from the transformation programme. <BR /> <BR />On statementing, SENCOs with 15 or 20 years of experience have a level of judgement and expertise that should be trusted. That would allow processes to move more quickly and appropriate support for the child to be introduced in a timely way. However, there are growing concerns that statements are being denied, when the need to proceed with one is clear. <BR /> <BR />I have a clear example of that from my casework in Lagan Valley. A SENCO with around 20 years' experience, who has never had a statement refused for a child, had one refused this year for the first time.”
“Another SENCO cluster from the north-west summarises the broader picture well:”
“<BR /> <BR />Paperwork, statementing and educational psychologist referrals are recurring themes that illustrate that disconnect. Here is one example from a SENCO that typifies those issues:”
“SENCOs all understand the constraints that the system operates within, but they do not understand why you will not listen to them. They want the transformation of the system to work, but to work in reality, not on the basis of numerical metrics that measure the flow of cases. The only real measure is delivering effective interventions for children. <BR /> <BR />The disconnect that exists between what we as MLAs and Committee members hear weekly from SENCOs and what we hear from the Department and the EA is counterproductive. The reality of the situation needs to be understood not just with regard to data and box ticking but through the experience of SENCOs on the ground. We need the EA and SENCOs saying the same thing, even if that means reflecting the problems.”
“I know that officials and the Minister are genuinely trying to improve the situation, but, if things continue as they are, more SENCOs will leave their roles, no one will step up to fill the positions, and the system will fall further into crisis. <BR /> <BR />Officials coming to the Committee or the Minister standing up in the Chamber quoting favourable voices to contradict the swell of testimony that we as representatives hear is insulting to us all. It suggests a desire to control the narrative rather than solve the problems. There is also the lingering concern that changes have been designed to make things look better. That concern is simply not going away. It is not the stuff of conspiracy; it is based on lived experience. Here is a verbatim example from a SENCO, who is representing the experiences of a SENCO cluster group:”
“They are trying to understand, navigate and implement constant changes from the Education Authority (EA) and Department and manage the expectations of families and school staff following those changes. They are reporting to boards of governors or having to go through the statutory appeals process, working with health colleagues and other therapeutic support teams. Because they are at the centre of special educational needs, you would imagine that they are the key to any major changes, such as local impact teams (LITs) or the statutory assessment changes, yet we seem to find ourselves in the troubling position where those holding the system together feel completely ignored. I am not here to blame individuals in the Department or the EA, but I need them to listen.”
“One SENCO in my constituency has had to go on blood pressure medication because of the stress that they are now under. That pressure is a consequence of a broken system. <BR /> <BR />When you speak to a SENCO, you end up asking yourself how one person can do that job, especially when you consider that they often have to teach as well. The answer is simple: they sacrifice. They sacrifice their free time. Many are now also sacrificing their health. It appears to me that they find themselves at the centre of our broken system. Their first priority and focus is, of course, the children whom they are trying to support. However, they are also the key support for other school staff, who are, increasingly, teaching children with additional needs in their classrooms. They are working with parents and families who are fighting for their children.”
“Thank you, Mr Deputy Speaker. I am pleased to propose the motion to give a voice to a workforce in our schools that is at the front line of our SEN crisis, our special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). My colleagues across the House and I have listened to SENCOs in our constituencies, in the Education Committee and across Northern Ireland. They have come to us often in desperation at the level of workload, the lack of support, the outworking of reforms and the fact that their concerns about those reforms are ignored. Ultimately, they feel that, too often, they are unable to deliver for the children for whom they advocate. That creates an unbearable personal toll for many SENCOs, resulting in the job that they love impacting on their personal lives and their health.”
“Thank you, Minister. You will be aware that a number of really innovative projects are being taken forward as part of the RAISE programme in our constituency of Lagan Valley. Can you confirm for how long the RAISE funding is set to be available? Does it ensure that we will see long-term value from the programme?”
“Thank you, Minister, for your statement. We are always keen for you to come to the Chamber to speak with us. I will ask you a question that is specifically about the statement. There is no mention in it at all of special educational needs coordinators (SENCOs). We will debate a motion later today on the workload pressures that that workforce is experiencing in schools. Will there be anything in your action plan that will specifically address the pressures that SENCOs face?”
“Thank you, First Minister, for the response. We all know that political differences between the DUP and Sinn Féin are the barrier to progress on the site. What are you doing to make progress, and when will you meet the board of the Maze/Long Kesh Development Corporation? You last met in July 2024.”
“Given that there are no specific interventions required in the plan, I would like to know what confidence there is that, as it stands, it will deliver what is needed for the workforce. For example, the Stranmillis research on workload in the Irish-medium sector made clear recommendations on the expansion of initial teacher training and the development of an apprenticeship route for classroom assistants. I understand and accept that the intention of the legislation is simply to establish a statutory framework in order to ensure that whatever actions the Department takes are timely and informed by robust consultation. <BR /> <BR />I look forward to working with colleagues and the Irish-medium sector to ensure that the Bill can progress. I hope that it makes a difference.”
“I would like to better understand what will be delivered through the workforce plan and what the sector really needs it to deliver. Clause 1 states that the Department must take into account areas such as:”
“I will vote for the Bill to go through to Committee Stage. <BR /> <BR />I fully accept that the Department is continuing to work on the development of a strategy for Irish-medium education, which is due in 2027. I imagine that that means that some will say that a workforce plan is not required, which we have heard today, as it may come forward as part of that strategy. However, we have seen strategies come forward that exclude key facets, with things being delayed even when they are in a strategy, and the Bill addresses that. There is enough here to say that I understand why the Bill has been introduced, and I have no issue with its coming forward in that context. <BR /> <BR />From my reading of the Bill as introduced, I do not see any significant issues with it. I look forward to hearing evidence at the Education Committee.”
“There is evidence of how it benefits memory, problem-solving and creativity, and, of course, it is essential in order to allow the Irish language to continue to grow and thrive. <BR /> <BR />The sector faces challenges that are similar to those faced by every sector across the North. However, reports from Stranmillis University College and Queen's University Belfast, and the 'A Fair Start' report, outline the fact that the Irish-medium sector faces specific and significant workforce and resource pressures. Given that that is the case and that, as has been noted today, the Department has a statutory duty under article 89 of the Education Order:”
“No headsets are required for my contribution. Unfortunately, I have no Irish, or very little; not enough to have the confidence to say it in any remarks today. I think that I can count to 13 confidently, but I would not get much further than that. <BR /> <BR />The Irish-medium sector has seen significant growth over the past decade. In 2001, there were about 1,600 pupils, and, in 2025, there were over 7,000. That is a real testament to the dedication of those working in the sector. When I joined the Education Committee, one of the first events that I attended was at St Mary's, where I got to see first-hand and learn about the value of immersive education. It goes beyond just learning a language.”
“I appreciate the intervention. <BR /> <BR />I support the Bill's passage at Second Stage, and I look forward to getting it into Committee and having a really good look at it. I thank the Member for bringing the Bill forward.”
“<BR /> <BR />Before I wrap up, I echo the point that my colleague made about making sure that the Bill has no unintended consequences when it comes to benefits received: the outworking of the Bill cannot be to make people worse off than they are now.”
“Committee Stage will provide an important opportunity to examine the issues in detail, including how the Children's Services Co-operation Act (Northern Ireland) 2015 could support the effective delivery of such a scheme. There will be those who rightly point to pressures in the Education budget. We all recognise that our public services are underfunded, but we also know that there are inefficiencies in the system. School leaders consistently highlight waste in areas such as procurement and maintenance contracts. If identifying funding measures such as holiday hunger drives improvement in how resources are used more broadly across the education system, on balance, that trade-off is worth making.”
“If the Bill progresses to the next stage, I will be keen to understand how the financial responsibility could be shared with other Departments, because, fundamentally, the Bill has the potential to deliver long-term savings. The organisation Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) has rightly asked us to consider the cost of intervention alongside the much greater long-term cost of child poverty, including its impacts on health, education and wider public services. <BR /> <BR />When set against the scale of need, with tens of thousands of children affected, and the relatively low cost of delivery, the Bill feels like the right approach.”
“Given that we have had a recent school meal payment scheme here, I will be interested at Committee Stage to understand in more detail the impact that that had on the lives of children and young people and whether the mechanism that was used then could be used again. I also note the equality and human rights policy screening of the discontinuation of the holiday food payment grant scheme at the end of 2022-23, which noted the disproportionate impact that ending the scheme would have on children with disabilities. <BR /> <BR />Of course, any proposal with budget implications will rightly be scrutinised, particularly when Departments are under significant financial pressure.”
“<BR /> <BR />Of course, the Bill does not promise to deal with child poverty, its complicated and myriad causes and its huge number of consequences, but it would ease the financial burden that some families face over school holiday periods. It would help to feed children and young people who would otherwise turn to food banks or go without. It might, in some way, support parents who are struggling with the rising costs of rent, childcare, heating and essentials. <BR /> <BR />Following the end of the free school meals payment, Northern Ireland is now the only region in the UK without a specific government funding scheme or a programme for holiday food.”
“There are well-rehearsed and devastating statistics and reports that show the impact that poverty has on the lives of children in Northern Ireland. There are impacts on education, health and future life opportunities. They are repeated in the Chamber time and again, so we need to ensure that they do not lose their meaning and that the reality of those reports and statistics does not escape us. Dr Julie-Anne Maney, a paediatric consultant, speaking to the BBC in an interview about the impact of child poverty, said that "poverty obliterates children's futures". She spoke about repeatedly witnessing the reality of child hunger and malnutrition and about the awful disparity between children from disadvantaged families and those who have more. That is the devastating reality.”
“When faced with the choice between doing something and doing nothing for children who are facing holiday hunger, I will absolutely vote to do something. <BR /> <BR />The framing of the Bill externally will be tackling holiday hunger, but I will broaden the context slightly, because we are also talking about childhood. School holidays are a precious time for families to make memories with their children. If these payments mean that a family can budget to provide a treat for their children during the holidays, I am so, so comfortable with that. I also hope that the scheme, if implemented, might offer an evidence base that expanding this type of support to kids who fall just outside the threshold is worth exploring. <BR /> <BR />Ultimately, the Bill is about child poverty and food security.”