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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“Ultimately, when the guidelines are published, I will look to see whether they reflect the evidence that the Committee heard and the views that were provided throughout the Department's consultation.”
“I cannot help but lament the kind of private Member's Bill that he would have brought had the Minister not taken up the mantle. That is something that we will never know. What we are left with is very much the Minister's Bill, and its impact and effectiveness will ultimately come down to what the Minister chooses to include in the guidance and what definitions he chooses to adopt. <BR /> <BR />Year after year, MLAs have been outraged at the schools that continue to charge excessive amounts for items of school uniform, essentially placing an additional barrier in the way of children accessing an education and requiring families to go into debt in order that their child can go to the school that they choose. I continue to question the mentality of that approach.”
“In fact, we were told that the Department was only starting to seek legal advice and feedback from schools at the Committee Stage. Officials could not answer basic questions on how affordability would be defined. Work on a potential cost cap appeared not to have been started. As we debate the Final Stage of the Bill, it appears that a fair bit of work is still to be done. <BR /> <BR />In that context, I acknowledge the work of my fellow Committee members, the Clerks and the Bill Office team, who pulled out all the stops to do the very best that we could in the time that we had. I want to recognise, in particular, the work of the Committee Chair, my colleague Nick Mathison, who distinguished himself in how he led our work.”
“Through the legislative process, we received clear assurances from the Minister that schools that do not comply will be directed to. There can be no scope to allow any school to disregard the guidelines, and we will be watching that space going forward. <BR /> <BR />The Education Committee originally agreed to a longer scrutiny period to be completed by December 2025 at the latest. When it came to the debate on that, it is on the record that Members from different parties changed their position, and we worked to a shorter time frame. "Work harder" was the message from the Minister to the Committee. I do not think that we realised at the time that he was being ironic, as it soon became evident that his Department had done little substantive work to deliver the promised draft guidelines.”
“Legislation to tackle the cost of school uniforms has been long-awaited. When the Minister signalled an intention to do so, we welcomed it. When we saw the Bill, it is fair to say that our response and the response of others was, "Is this it?". The truth is that every Member who stands here to speak about the Bill has no idea of whether it will make a financial difference to families. That is the honest truth, and every Member should be honest about that fact. They may believe that it will, but they absolutely cannot know that it will. That is because, despite assurances that we would, we have yet to see the guidelines that the Bill will give statutory force to. Those guidelines and the Department's work to enforce them will be the ultimate test of success.”
“How will a just transition fund for agriculture benefit farmers while delivering nature recovery and climate action?”
“<BR /> <BR />As a parent said to me, this is not simply a matter of convenience; it is a matter of public safety and moral responsibility. No parent should have to fear for their child's life while they are walking to school.”
“Active travel is a key objective for the Department, but, if we are to encourage more walking and cycling for our young people, it has to be safe. I hope that the Minister will instruct her officials to act with urgency to create a 20 mph zone at the school and to engage with the school, the PTA, the PSNI and elected representatives to deliver clearly marked and well-signposted pedestrian crossings near schools, parks and residential areas; lower speed limits in school zones and residential streets; the installation of speed bumps, raised crosswalks or other proven traffic-calming infrastructure; increased enforcement of speed limits and traffic laws during peak school commute hours; and prominent signage to alert drivers when entering areas of high child activity.”
“In the past, parents vocalised the road safety risks at the school but concluded that it was going to take an incident to get change. We have now had a serious incident, but we cannot wait for a tragedy.”
“I will highlight road safety issues outside Downshire Primary School in Hillsborough. The Department for Infrastructure does not take a risk-management approach to road safety. Rather, it waits for something to happen and then reacts. Well, something happened near that school. A child who was hit by a car is now recovering, and we are so grateful for that, but the school community is rightly demanding decisive action not just for its school but for others across Northern Ireland.”
“Minister, it is very concerning that some 2,000 patients have been removed from the waiting list owing to a change of criteria. I can evidence that using the experience of one of my constituents, who has painful varicose veins. She was on a waiting list for four years and was removed owing to the criteria change. She was then re-referred by her GP but was again declined for a place on the waiting list. Can the Minister give an assurance that changing the criteria is not a tactic to reduce waiting lists while not treating patients?”
“Developing skills is essential and must be a shared aspiration for us all.”
“The SDLP amendment effectively removes the central tenet of the motion, which is a call on our Economy Minister to take focused action and establish a local agency here. There is nothing in our motion that would stop a talent development agency working in partnership with Skillnet Ireland. We would, of course, expect nothing else. We would also expect the talent development agency to work in partnership with similar organisations in Scotland, Wales and England. <BR /> <BR />I hope that Members across the Chamber embrace the vision of the motion today. I worked in the private sector here for years in the technology sector, and I know the talent and vision of our business leaders, who are capable and eager to expand our economy. However, government must act as an enabler.”
“Recently, David and I visited local manufacturing company Leprino in Magheralin, and we saw how it is bringing together young people through vocational opportunities, such as apprenticeships, as well as offering placements to university undergraduates and upskilling existing staff members to ensure that they have right mix of skills and experience to meet its business need. <BR /> <BR />Not all businesses are at the scale to provide such a range of opportunities, so our version of the Skillnet model can provide a vital role, matching the needs of SMEs with trainees seeking employment opportunities or opportunities to learn. Seeking to leverage opportunities across the island of Ireland is a no-brainer, and we have spoken repeatedly about the need to work on a cross-border basis, especially in further and higher education.”
“<BR /> <BR />The independent review of education provided clear recommendations for how that could be done and a vision of what could be achieved. For example, that report spoke of young people from the age of 14 onwards being able to participate in a wide range of education pathways, including vocational and technical education, and work-based learning. That requires collaboration between education providers and workplaces of all kinds. There are examples of that happening across Northern Ireland.”
“<BR /> <BR />It has never been more important to get the structures right around skills development. Things are changing so fundamentally with AI that it is impossible for government, which reacts slowly, to respond quickly enough to the needs of businesses and other industries. That is why the motion proposes a talent development agency to emulate Skillnet in the South. We have a huge number of innovative businesses that want to develop staff. They want to build skills and expand, however they need support to link with our training providers. We have also, time and again, talked about the need for parity of esteem between schools, further education and higher education. We need collaboration, not siloed working as we have now. That vision is driven by the top at ministerial level.”
“Addressing the needs of those young people must be central to any approach, and I echo the recognition of Alma White and her work on Caleb's Cause, which highlights the neglect of our post-19 SEN young people. <BR /> <BR />The motion recognises that some great work has happened in linking business investment with skills development. We have seen that through the skills academies, for example. However, every Member, when we go into local businesses, will hear that we have huge skills gaps that are stifling growth. When we take that fact and set it beside the fact that we have 25,000 16- to 24-year-olds not in education, employment or training, we have to see that for what it is, a red flag telling us that we need to do something different if we are to meet this challenge.”
“Right now, those opportunities simply are not there in the way that we would like, and I caution against anyone seeking to demonise young people as lazy or unmotivated when the pathways to succeed simply are so limited. <BR /> <BR />I especially want to highlight, as others have done, young people with special educational needs and disabilities, who often need extra support to realise their potential. Right now, they have limited opportunities available. Northern Ireland continues to have the largest disability employment gap of all the regions across the United Kingdom. The latest figures report that the employment rate for disabled people in Northern Ireland is 38·3%, while the rate for those without a disability is 85·9%.”
“I really love this motion. It has ambition, it seeks to emulate best practice, and it is focused on giving young people hope and opportunity and, in some circumstances, a reason to stay in Northern Ireland. That speaks to me both as a parent and as an elected representative. When asked what motivates me to be in politics, my answer is often that I want Northern Ireland to be a place that my kids do not have to leave to be successful. To realise that ambition, we need exciting, dynamic and innovative educational and training opportunities that cater for different aptitudes and interests of learners, matched to the needs of businesses and critical public services, such as healthcare.”
“Thank you, Minister, for that answer. The issue of children missing in education is a serious one and a genuine safeguarding concern, so thank you for the work that you are taking forward in the Department. <BR /> <BR />I first asked the question in relation to the tragedy of Kyran Durnin in the South, and I was so concerned about the answer that I got that I had to do everything that I could as a private Member to try to address the issue. As the Minister with the power to act, can you give assurances that, in this mandate, there will be movement and progress on legislation on guidance and data sharing?”
“We need to do everything that we can to prevent that from happening. That requires better data sharing between our Departments and other jurisdictions, statutory guidance and legislative change, all of which, I know, are being looked at by senior officials in the Department of Education. I fully appreciate that that work is ongoing, but we need urgency. I will help in any way that I can. I will back legislative changes and statutory guidance to improve the situation. We must focus on closing those gaps in our system, and we must get it done in this mandate.”
“I rise to speak about children who are missing in education. I am specifically talking about children who are not registered in school or as being in home education. We do not know how many kids are in that situation, whether they are in harm's way or whether they need support. However, from speaking to the Education Authority, the British Association of Social Workers, the Children's Commissioner's office and other experts, I know that those who are responsible for safeguarding issues are worried. Having received internal minutes and briefings from the Department of Education through an FOI request, I know that the Department is, rightly, worried about the issue. <BR /> <BR />We have seen heartbreaking incidents in the South that showed what can happen when children fall through the cracks in our systems.”
“I thank the Minister for his statement. Everybody here recognises the need to invest in our special educational needs provision. We also recognise how pressed and tight the Executive's resources are. They are particularly finite in our circumstances here. It is reasonable to ask how much money the Education Minister has requested to be cut from other Executive Ministers' budgets. He mentioned some detailed proposals; has he suggested where other budget might be cut? For example, how much will the Communities Minister or the Health Minister cut from their budgets?”
“<BR /> <BR />Amendment No 13 ensures that clause 3 would come into operation on Royal Assent and not simply when the Department wants it to. That clause focuses the guidance on limiting items of clothing or sets of clothing, which is, as we know, essential in making an impact on the cost of uniforms. We understand that the Department needs more time to work on a cost cap design, but we have allowed for that in the amendment.”
“That ensures choice for parents, and we hope that, in the interim, until the Minister proceeds with a cost cap, it will have an impact on cost. <BR /> <BR />The second part of the amendment adds nuance. The Committee heard feedback on some cases in which schools could openly explain how they were able to negotiate lower prices through a supplier or series of suppliers. Transparency is essential. The theme of transparency is in the amendment. We have heard disappointing stories of schools opting for a supplier, for example, to deliver PE and sports kit, after the decision-making process was influenced by staff having received free kit. That is a minority example, but no school or organisation should be afraid of transparency, and the amendment ensures that when it comes to formal or informal agreements with suppliers.”
“The amendment, if passed, will ensure that the play-based curriculum is appropriately considered in uniform policies. I often note that the only people who leave my house in the morning wearing a tie are my kids as they go to school, when their dad works in an office. The amendment is about young kids at Foundation Stage. Their uniform should reflect the stage of their education journey, so it is a common-sense amendment, and I hope that Members will support it. <BR /> <BR />Amendments Nos 6 and 7 are about single-supplier contracts. Amendment No 6 refers to availability for purchase. That is essential — it is unfortunate that it is essential — and the amendment ensures that guidance to schools includes strong provisions to ensure that items required for a uniform:”
“There is an opportunity to tidy things up at Further Consideration Stage. <BR /> <BR />Amendments Nos 2 and 3 focus on consultation by schools and are straightforward. The vast majority of schools constantly speak to parents and children and receive feedback on many things, including uniform. The amendments ensure that the Department has to make provision in the guidance for who schools must consult and that parents, guardians and pupils are included in that consultation. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 5 concerns the play-based curriculum. My colleague Nick Mathison has been particularly passionate about that, and I fully support him on it. We speak of how crucial a play-based curriculum is for children in the early stages of their education, yet we continue to permit schools not to reflect that in their uniform.”
“Madam Principal Deputy Speaker, I will make your life easy by speaking to the amendments in group 2 on the content of guidelines and commencement. The selected amendments in the group are about strengthening the Bill to give it the best chance to deliver real change for families. Each amendment addresses specific weaknesses by ensuring consultation with those directly affected, making uniform policies consistent with the play-based curriculum, tackling costs through supplier choice and transparency, and making sure that key provisions take effect without unnecessary delay. Taken together, they make the legislation stronger, fairer and more effective. <BR /> <BR />I restate that, as a Committee, we took legal advice and drafting advice from the Bill Office on all the amendments that we submitted.”
“Have you seen the guidance? You are very confident that the Bill will deliver for parents. Our concern is that we have not seen the guidance, so we do not have the same level of confidence that you do.”
“There is a considerable road to travel for engagement with schools before a direction would be given. Publicly funded schools should not have policies that breach statutory guidelines. There should be transparency on that.”
“When we are talking about directions to the school manager, we see that those are clearly outlined in clause 7(5). I truly do not understand why that amendment would not be supported. The Department gave little assurance or clarity on the issue; therefore, the Committee felt that it was important to ensure that the Department will do its job, although I hope that it will not be necessary. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 11 is about simplifying the process of how the Department issues directions. Again, the majority of the Committee could not understand why, after having conversations with a school on potential breaches of the guidance — that is, of course, the right approach — the Department would then go back to consult the school manager on their proposals for directions. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 12 is not about naming and shaming schools.”
“on the effect of a cap, if introduced — or, if no cap has been introduced, why not — and on "subsequent plans" for guidance on the cap. Amendment No 8 is, essentially, a scrutiny amendment. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 9 is concerned with directions on adherence to guidelines. Essentially, it is about how the Department will ensure that there is compliance with its statutory guidance. We could not understand why the Department would not give directions to schools that failed to adhere to guidelines. That is especially the case when there is an allowance or transitional guidance in place in the Bill. As outlined in clause 7(1)(a), the Department will be assured, through its investigation, about whether a school is "failing to adhere ... to guidelines".”
“We know that there is support for a price cap. The consultation report notes that 88% of respondents supported a "cost control measure being introduced". When I spoke to families about the legislation, that was the element that they told me that they would like to see. That is what people believe will bring costs down. I fully understand why they believe that, especially given that we have not seen any draft guidance. In the absence of draft statutory guidance from the Minister on the proposals for a price cap, Alliance tabled this amendment. It holds the Department to account on a price cap, stating that it must report:”
“and 79% agreeing with "monitoring and evaluation proposals". It therefore makes complete sense that the Department should have to review statutory guidance and that it should not be left as a "from time to time" approach. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 4 simply requires the Department to lay the guidelines before the Assembly, which is the minimum standard of transparency and democratic oversight for them. <BR /> <BR />I am glad to say that amendment No 8 passed unanimously at Committee Stage. That amendment is a response to the fact that the Department was not able to present details on how a price cap could work or provide a preferred option. We know that the Department will consult specifically on the price cap, and I hope that the Minister can speak to when that will be and to his confidence that it will become a reality.”
“We imagine that the Minister will want to do that more regularly initially anyway in order to ensure that the guidelines have the impact of making school uniforms more cost-effective. The Department's report on the consultation made it clear that there was widespread support for that regular review, with 77% of respondents agreeing:”
“The amendments in group 1 are on monitoring and enforcement. Legislation has value only if it changes practice. That means having real monitoring, real enforcement and real accountability. Families cannot afford another round of warm words and glossy guidance; they need affordable uniforms for their children, and the Assembly should accept nothing less. The amendments in this group are essential, because, without good enforcement, those schools that already demonstrate best practice in affordability will continue to do so, while those that do not will simply be able to carry on without consequence. <BR /> <BR />Amendment No 1 is important to ensure that the Department regularly reviews the statutory guidelines.”
“For example, I got up today and thought about what I would wear for "comfort and practicality", which is the language of the Bill, and I opted for trousers, yet girls across Northern Ireland do not necessarily have that choice, and the Bill will do nothing to address that. Let me be clear that our concern is that the Bill's main achievement risks being that the Minister can say that he did something: a neat box ticked for an election leaflet rather than genuine relief for families. We all understand the importance of tradition in schools, but policies must never exclude. Schools that are funded by public money should not create barriers for children from families on low or modest incomes.”
“It is good to have legislation before us today. Delivering and scrutinising legislation is what we are here for, and I appreciate the opportunity to debate the selected proposed amendments to the School Uniforms Bill. I thank the Committee for its careful work on scrutinising the Bill in a very compressed time frame, and I also thank the Bill Office, which provided diligent and invaluable support to Members. <BR /> <BR />The Alliance Party has long campaigned for action on the cost of school uniforms, so we welcome the fact that at least some progress has been made after years of inaction. It is a shame, however, that the Bill lacks ambition and scope.”
“I ask the Minister for an update on the just transition fund for agriculture.”
“There is a significant event being hosted here on Wednesday by the Women's Policy Group and Melted Parents in relation to childcare. During his meeting, did the Minister raise the issue of expanding tax-free childcare with the Chancellor again?”
“I thank the Minister for the statement. Will he give an update on future Shared Island opportunities?”
“I thank the Minister for the statement. Minister, you have been clear that there is an evidence-based approach in TransformED. I hope, though, that your use of evidence is not selective, because you have already made it clear that you will ignore the evidence on academic selection. <BR /> <BR />I will ask about educational underachievement. We know from research that improving pastoral support and emotional well-being is crucial to tackling educational underachievement, especially for boys and young men. How will TransformED help schools and staff to improve pastoral and emotional support?”
“Ulster University research from earlier this year showed that 82% feel that they are unfairly paid and that over three quarters want a clear career pathway. Those workers are the backbone of SEN provision. They deserve respect, stability and investment. <BR /> <BR />The truth is that we have reached a point where the system is being propped up by goodwill, exhausted parents and overstretched staff. That is not sustainable, and it is not fair on the children whom we are here to serve. Today, let us be clear. The Minister must provide clarity on the number of children who remain without an appropriate place; he must publish clear, costed and time-bound plans for delivery; and he must prioritise those children and families, because they cannot wait any longer.”
“The workforce plan needs to be done in partnership with the Department of Health, and there should be a joint budget. <BR /> <BR />Two amendments have been selected, and both add to the debate. Procedurally, we cannot pass both amendments, but that should not lessen the points that they raise. Gerry Carroll's amendment rightly calls for a guarantee that every pupil who needs one-to-one support from a SEN classroom assistant will receive it. That is a simple and basic commitment, and I hope that the Minister will make that commitment today. <BR /> <BR />Timothy Gaston's amendment highlights the vital role of classroom assistants. Too many are in temporary contracts, and too many are underpaid. There are also too few opportunities for career progression.”
“That decision, which he was happy to make, made this crisis deeper. The constant collapse of this place is contributing to the funding issues in Education and other Departments but, specifically, the crisis impacting on the SEN system. We need an area planning approach to SEN, not just ad hoc letters and last-minute scrambling. Every child should have the option to be educated in their local community without families being put through the stress of fighting for transport or waiting months for a placement. <BR /> <BR />Let us not forget the workforce. Classroom assistants, teachers and therapists are crying out for investment, training and support. They are the backbone of SEN provision, and, without them, any strategy will fail.”
“strategies; they need action, services and support, and they need them now. <BR /> <BR />The Minister will, of course, talk about funding, and that is reasonable. More schools than ever are operating in a deficit, but, while rightly pointing to his constrained budget, the Minister also continues to champion additional bureaucracy instead of creating a single management authority. He has put no plan in place to rightsize our school estate. In opposition to the independent review of education, he championed Strule, which is taking an incredible amount of capital funding. This is about making hard decisions, which he appears incapable of doing in this context. Of course, he was happy to resign his position as First Minister to collapse the Assembly. It cannot be denied that those two years being lost made this situation substantially worse.”
“<BR /> <BR />When the SEN reform agenda and delivery plan was published earlier this year, there was hope that it might finally chart a way forward, and we welcomed its ambition at the time. However, look at it closely. There are no clear timescales for delivery, no detailed breakdown of costs, no workforce planning in partnership with the Department of Health and a worrying reliance on pilots and aspirations rather than hard commitments. Parents who have been failed for years do not need more”
“I completely agree that all schools need to open their doors to children with special educational needs and disabilities not just because it is the right thing to do but because I hear time and time again that the schools that do so quickly find out that all children benefit. The schools that outright refuse to take children without providing any rationale for that should be held to account. However, some school leaders have genuine concerns about the resourcing, staff and building requirements that they need to ensure that they can give all children what they need to thrive. The issue is ensuring that resources are planned. Letters from the Minister in June and from the EA chief executive later in June are not a strategy; they are too little, too late. The system is surviving on firefighting and goodwill, not on planning or resourcing.”
“Others are placed in contingency arrangements that are far from acceptable. Some receive only a few hours of home tuition, some wait indefinitely for special school places and some are offered a school that cannot meet their needs, yet we do not have clear data on how many children are affected. The Education Authority created over 1,300 places last year. I acknowledge that effort. However, even it admits that that approach is unsustainable. Schools that took in extra children last year cannot keep stretching endlessly. We are now staring into an even worse crisis in 2026. <BR /> <BR />I want to make a point about the role that schools can play.”
“It is our job to acknowledge system failures, but I acknowledge the brilliant work that is happening in our schools. In my constituency of Lagan Valley, as in every part of Northern Ireland, there are wonderful teachers, classroom assistants and health professionals who pour their energy into helping children to thrive. Special schools and mainstream schools alike are doing incredible work, often against the odds. They deserve our thanks and support. For the families being failed and abandoned, our job today is to demand accountability. <BR /> <BR />Let us look now to the annual placement crisis. Children with statutory statements are left without a school place at the start of term. Others are allocated a place that looks fine on paper but is impractical, inaccessible or unable to meet their needs.”