Committee for Education: 2022 - 2027 Mandate
2026 Research Papers
Below you will find details of Research Publications which have been prepared by the Assembly's Research and Information Service (RaISe) for the Committee for Education in 2026.
Special Educational Needs (SEN) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026
- Date: 07/05/2026
This Briefing Paper provides an overview of the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2026. It outlines the key changes to the SEN Framework enabled by the proposed draft Regulations 2026 and the strategic, operational and demand context within which the draft Regulations 2026 will operate. Potential areas which may merit further consideration are highlighted throughout.
The Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill 2026
- Date: 30/04/2026
This Bill Paper aims to support the Northern Ireland Assembly scrutiny of the Education (Holiday Meal Payments) Bill – as introduced on 3 March 2026. It includes context setting information, an overview of the Bill’s Clauses that seek to deliver its policy objectives and a Review of Costs that considers key potential “public purse” implications of the introduced Bill with Northern Ireland’s current challenging public finance context.
Irish Medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill
- Date: 28/04/2026
This paper has been prepared to provide an overview of the Irish Medium Education (Workforce Plan) Bill (Bill 28/22-27). The Bill was introduced in the Northern Ireland Assembly on 3 March 2026 by Pat Sheehan MLA.
General Teaching Council Bill Paper
- Date: 05/02/2026
This Bill Paper provides an overview of the General Teaching Council Bill as introduced to the Assembly on 24 November 2025. The paper outlines the background to the Bill and also identifies those areas within the Bill which may merit further consideration. Where relevant, it compares similar areas of responsibility held by regulatory bodies in the rest of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
Decoding phonics: a primer on teaching literacy in Northern Ireland
- Date: 12/01/2026
This Research Paper provides an overview of phonics as a method for teaching literacy, examining its various forms and comparing it with alternative approaches such as whole language and balanced literacy. It explores the research landscape surrounding phonics, considers its role within the Northern Ireland curriculum and offers comparisons from across the UK and the Republic of Ireland
