Committee for Education
Minutes of Proceedings - 10 December 2025
Committee for Education -10 December 2025.pdf (173.78 kb)
Meeting Location: Room 29 Parliament Buildings
Present:
Mr Nick Mathison MLA (Chairperson)
Mr Pat Sheehan MLA (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Danny Baker MLA
Mr David Brooks MLA
Mr Jon Burrows MLA
Mrs Michelle Guy MLA
Ms Cara Hunter MLA
Mrs Cathy Mason MLA
Mr Gary Middleton MLA
Ms Aoibhinn Treanor (Assembly Clerk)
Mr Mark McQuade (Assistant Clerk)
Mr Jim Nulty (Clerical Supervisor)
Mr Thomas McConville (Clerical Officer)
Ms Gillian Kane (Senior Research Officer) (Item 7 only)
Mr Glenn Williams (Research Officer) (Item 7 only)
Apologies: None
The meeting commenced at 2:00pm in public session.
1. Apologies
No apologies were received.
2. Chairperson's Business
The Committee noted a draft report for the Committee Inquiry into RSE
Agreed: The Committee agreed to return to this at its next meeting.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission in relation to RSE.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the correspondence in the report on its inquiry into RSE.
The Committee considered correspondence from the Women's Rights Network Northern Ireland in relation to RSE.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to include the correspondence in the report on its inquiry into RSE.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to respond to the Women's Rights Network thanking it for its correspondence and indicating that it did not expect to schedule further evidence on RSE at this time.
The Committee noted correspondence from the Evangelical Alliance NI providing a 'Lost Boys' Follow-Up report and inviting members to an event.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to note the event for diaries and include the correspondence in the report on its inquiry into RSE.
The Committee noted correspondence on behalf of four teaching unions regarding proposed cuts to Education Authority services.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to share the correspondence with the Minister of Education and the Education Authority seeking clarity on what steps were taken to ensure that budgetary pressures don't impact the least well off.
The Committee noted a response from the Education Authority providing a written briefing on savings.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to return to this at its next meeting.
Mr Brooks joined the meeting at 2:13pm.
Mr Burrows joined the meeting at 2:13pm.
3. Declaration of Interest
There were no declarations of interests.
4. Matters arising
The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance on Outturn and Forecast Outturn and a written briefing paper from the Department of Education on December monitoring.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to write to the Minister of Education seeking:
- An update on the financial position based on the monitoring round, teachers' pay and Education Authority budget pressures;
- Details of the Minister's current plans to bring the department to a place where it's able to live within budget; and
- an update on any allocations received in the monitoring round and how the Minister plans to utilize these.
The Committee noted a written briefing paper from the Department of Education on the SEN Reform Agenda & Delivery Plan.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to add the correspondence to papers for the Strategic Review of Current SEN Provision and Transformation Agenda.
The Committee considered a draft set of survey questions for the GTCNI Bill.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the survey questions and that the survey would be released on 12 December 2025.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to delegate scrutiny of the secondary legislation powers to the Examiner for Statutory Rules.
5. Draft Minutes
Agreed: The Committee agreed the minutes of its meeting held on 3 December 2025.
Mrs Guy joined the meeting at 2:18pm.
6. Proposed Committee Bil
The Committee considered:
- Correspondence from the Northern Ireland Youth Assembly on school Uniforms; and
- A draft set of survey questions for the proposed Committee Bill.
Agreed: the Committee agreed the survey as amended.
7. TransformED literacy, SEN and Phonics - Oral Briefing by RaISe
The Committee noted:
- Correspondence from academics on the impacts on literacy and SEN of a range of teaching approaches; and
- An Assembly research paper 'Decoding phonics: a primer on teaching literacy in Northern Ireland'
The Committee was briefed by Gillian Kane and Glenn Williams from RaISe on the research paper.
This was followed by a question and answer session.
8. TransformED - Oral Briefing by Department of Education Officials
The Committee noted a briefing paper from the Department of Education.
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 3:03pm.
Dr Suzanne Kingon, Deputy Secretary of Policy, Delivery and Infrastructure, Department of Education
Ms Cynthia Currie, Director Of Teaching and Learning Excellence, Department of Education
Mr Peter Hutchinson, Head of the Independent Review/Transformation, Department of Education
Ms Karen McCullough, Director of Qualifications, 14-19 Strategy and Youth Work, Department of Education
The witnesses provided the Committee with a briefing on the TransformED strategy.
This was followed by a question and answer session.
9. Qualifications Reform - Oral Briefing by Department of Education Officials
The Committee noted a briefing paper from the Department of Education.
The following witnesses joined the meeting at 4:34pm.
Dr Suzanne Kingon, Deputy Secretary of Policy, Delivery and Infrastructure, Department of Education
Mrs Karen McCullough, Curriculum, Qualifications and Standards Director, Department of Education
Mr Jonathan Cockerill, Head of Qualifications Reform Team, Department of Education
The witnesses provided the Committee with a briefing on Qualifications Reform.
This was followed by a question and answer session.
10. The Education (Pupil Reporting) (Amendment) Regulations (NI) 2025 - SL1
The Committee considered an SL1 for the Education (Pupil Reporting)(Amendment) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2025.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to seek an oral briefing from officials on the regulations.
11. Correspondence
11.1 The Committee noted an index of correspondence.
11.2 The Committee noted a response from St Louis Grammar School regarding concerns about delivering projects on time & to budget.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to share the response with the Department of Education.
11.3 The Committee noted a response from the Education Authority regarding sustainable drainage systems.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to share the response with the Committee for Infrastructure for its consideration re the Water, Sustainable Drainage and Flood Management Bill.
11.4 The Committee noted an Impact report of Future Leaders: Work Experience at the NI Assembly NI.
11.5 The Committee noted correspondence from the Department of Education about the consultation on its Attendance Matters Strategy.
11.6 The Committee noted correspondence from an individual about Grief Education and Bereavement Support for Children and Young People.
Agreed: The Committee agreed to invite the correspondent to take part in the Committee stakeholder event on Curriculum Review.
11.7 The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance providing an update from the Department of Finance on its review of Arm's Length Bodies.
11.8 The Committee noted correspondence from the Committee for Finance providing revised information on Outturn & Forecast.
11.9 The Committee noted a response from the Minister of Education regarding concerns about pupils reported as unaccounted for in the school system by the Education Authority.
11.10 The Committee noted a response from the Education Authority in relation to Sandelford Special School.
11.11 The Committee noted a response from the Department of Education on the regulation of private tutoring.
12. Forward Work Programme
The Committee considered its forward work programme.
Agreed: The Committee agreed that it was content with the forward work programme as drafted.
11. Any Other Business
No other business was discussed.
12. Date, Time and Place of Next Meeting
The next Committee for Education meeting will be held on Wednesday 7 January 2026 at 2:00pm in Room 29, Parliament Buildings.
The meeting was adjourned at 5:46pm.
Nick Mathison MLA
Chairperson, Committee for Education
10 December 2025
