Young People and School Governors to Have Their Say on the Education Bill

The Committee for Education will host an event this week - facilitated by PTA-NI and The Youth Forum - to ask school governors and young people for their views on the Education Bill. The event marks the end of the evidence-gathering phase of the Committee Stage of the Bill. From 30 January 2013, the Committee will scrutinise the clauses of the Bill and proposed amendments, before producing a final Committee report.

The event will take place in the Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings on Wednesday, 30 January 2013 from 6pm-9pm.

Committee Chairperson, Mervyn Storey MLA said: "I very much look forward to engaging directly with school governors and young people from across Northern Ireland to hear their views on the Bill and how they envisage that the Bill will affect them. The Committee has taken evidence from a number of stakeholder organisations, sectoral bodies, unions and the Department of Education. We now need to hear the voice of those that will have to implement the proposed changes – school governors – and those who will be ultimately affected – young people."

He concluded: "This is an important Bill. The Committee has undertaken its scrutiny role thoroughly and seriously. The Committee has considered around 40 written submissions and has taken 15 oral briefing sessions. The event on Wednesday will provide further evidence and will significantly assist in the Committee's deliberations on the Bill."