Debate contribution: Education Inspections Bill: Second Stage

Debate contribution by Mr David Brooks on 1 June 2026.

MLA

Mr David Brooks

Party at the time

Democratic Unionist Party

Date

1 June 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Executive Committee Business

Heading

Education Inspections Bill: Second Stage

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5581767

Read the official Assembly record

Text

The Member has put his comments on the record. I am sure that he is pleased to do so. I am moving on with the debate. It does not change the fact that, in the decade that we talked about, inspections were repeatedly undermined by industrial tactics that placed institutional interests above the interests of children. Over eight academic years, more than three quarters of ETI inspections were impacted on by action short of strike. We heard that earlier and should hear it again and again in the Chamber, and take it in: three quarters of the inspections that ensure quality and safety in our schools have been disrupted. The result is a catalogue of missed opportunities to identify suboptimal practice, protect vulnerable pupils and intervene where children were at risk. We cannot pretend that that has had no consequence. We have already heard the retort from Members around the Chamber that safeguarding inspections were permitted to continue. When I asked the questions at Committee, the ETI representative was clear in explaining that inspectors, having returned to schools, found examples of safeguarding requirements not being maintained. Those included schools where mandatory safeguarding training had not been carried out for more than four years even though it should be renewed every two years; where safeguarding policies existed on paper but safeguarding practices were weaker; and where there were concerns that staff confidence in handling disclosures from children was affected and there were training lapses. We know that action short of strike also meant that surveys of pupils and parents, which can help to unearth underlying issues like the one that Mr Burrows raised, were not facilitated during that period. Therefore, while it is, at least, something that safeguarding inspections themselves went ahead, we should not mislead the public into believing that that limited box check meant that safeguarding was overseen as effectively as would normally be the case. The Bill is not about punishing teachers. As in most professions, the vast majority of our teachers are good, hardworking and a credit to the schools and communities that they serve. Often, they work in facilities and circumstances that are difficult and far from optimal, not least given the underfunding of our education system and its inability to meet all the pressures faced. However, there are always exceptions. Even that need not be alarmist. It does not always have to mean that there are bad or dangerous teachers.

Often, those exceptions are merely about correction, training and sharing best practice, not about persecuting teachers who are doing all that they can. Where there are more serious issues, clearly those will be challenged and dealt with appropriately, but who among us would not want that? What teacher would not want that? While sanction would be a matter for the General Teaching Council (GTC) or other relevant agency, let us be clear: the value and reputation of teachers is rightly protected when suboptimal teaching is addressed, best practice is shared and, yes, in those rare cases where severe incompetence or misconduct is confronted.

Yes, certainly.

Plainly not. I am not saying that that is what they are saying. That is not what they say in the emails, and I have received them too. However, I am happy to say, plainly, that I disagree with that argument. I absolutely believe that the majority of our teachers out there know the importance of inspection as it applies to the whole system. It not only protects our children but the reputation of the profession, and that is important too. It is in nobody's interest to do anything other than support and develop the potential of our children. The Bill simply ensures accountability. Inspection is the mechanism by which we know whether schools are performing in the way that we expect with regard to teaching and safeguarding. Where there is a vacuum of such inspection, there is no ability to target and deliver the necessary improvements to the benefit of our kids. I draw attention to what inspection also does: it raises issues that teachers face every day in the course of their work. Dundonald High School, in my own constituency, was rightly praised by the ETI for the work that it does in ageing and poorly maintained facilities: leaking roofs; broken heating systems, with one boiler in five working; and toilets that cannot be used and, it was told by the EA, are too expensive to fix. The ETI helped give further attention to those issues at the school, including through media attention at the time. It rightly said that Dundonald High School was:

"living out its vision of being a caring school at the heart of the community",

but that maintenance issues had material impacts on pupils attending class on time. It pointed out that the lack of appropriate staffroom space was an impact on staff morale and well-being and that children were restricted in their ability to use the library because it was being used as a classroom. Inspections are not necessarily a stick with which to beat the teaching workforce, and we should not talk about them as such. They are a means to identify and shine a light on all manner of issues relating to the quality of our education system and the safety and well-being of our children.

That has been talked about in the Chamber today, and I will come to it further along in my speech. If you have issues around clarity and issues that you want to amend and fix, there are processes within the system to do that at Committee Stage. The question of whether we vote down a Bill today is really about whether you agree with the principle. I will give way in a moment, but do you agree with the principle that inspections in our schools are vital to the operation and quality assurance of our education system? If you do, we should not be allowing them to be blocked as part of industrial disputes.

No offence taken here, Deputy Speaker, but I appreciate it. I have lost my spot now.

1,015 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

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Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:46 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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