Debate contribution: School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill: Second Stage
Debate contribution by Mrs Cathy Mason on .
- MLA
- Mrs Cathy Mason
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 30 June 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Committee Business
- Heading
- School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill: Second Stage
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5653610
Read the official Assembly record
Text
I, too, welcome the fact that this important legislation has reached its Second Stage. Like the Chair of the Committee, I thank the Committee for its hard work, and I thank the Committee Clerk, the Bill Office and the legal team for getting us to this point. It is really important, however, that we remember that the origins of the Bill lie in the failure of the Education Minister to properly deal, through his own school uniforms legislation, with the issue of guaranteeing every pupil the right to wear trousers in school, if they choose to do so. The Minister has repeatedly claimed that the matter has been dealt with, but it is very telling that he did not deem it important enough to be here today to listen to the debate; perhaps he knows that he will not like what he hears. The reality is that his legislation stopped far short of guaranteeing girls the right to wear trousers to school, so it lacked any effort at allowing equality for all pupils no matter what school they attend. It is also worth putting on record our repeated calls for the Minister to update the uniform guidelines to guarantee girls the right to wear trousers in school. As has been said, all of this could have been done with the stroke of a pen, but, no, for reasons that I really cannot begin to understand, he has refused to do so. He has not given any valid reasons as to why. Perhaps that is why he is not here today: he does not have any valid reason to go against this.
I thank the Member for his intervention, and I agree. He makes an extremely important point about affordability. That and addressing special educational needs and sensory needs were, as the Committee unanimously agreed, issues, yet they were not to the fore in the Minister's Bill. The Minister has the power to issue clear statutory guidance to guarantee every pupil the right to wear trousers. He has chosen not to do that. In the absence of leadership and action from the Minister and the DUP, MLAs from the progressive parties have come together to deliver the change that so many have been calling for. What probably annoys me most is that we have missed an opportunity here. When the Assembly returned, I had intended to introduce a private Member's Bill to make school uniforms more comfortable for pupils and more affordable for their families. The Minister, however, indicated that he planned to address the issue himself, so I was unable to progress that legislation. I did not need to do it, because he was going to do it all. It is deeply disappointing and frustrating that that commitment has not been realised. It is absolutely remarkable — let us be honest: it beggars belief — that, in 2026, a debate on whether all pupils should have the right to wear trousers to school is even necessary. I cannot believe that we are even having to talk about it. The Education Minister's failure to stand up for our girls has led us to this point. Across the North, many girls still do not have the automatic right to wear trousers to school. Instead, they find themselves having to seek permission, request exemptions or rely on the goodwill of individual schools. I have heard the Minister use that as an excuse for why this legislation is not needed. The reality, however, is that that is not equality, it is not dignity and it is certainly not what most people would expect in a modern education system. Not every child has the confidence to approach a senior figure such as a principal or a member of a board of governors, especially about something as personal and sensitive as this. The reality is that their request could still be turned down. The result is that pupils can still face barriers, whereas a straightforward legal entitlement would have resolved the issue once and for all. Picture this: one of our daughters is sitting in a classroom during her period. She is worried about leaking through her skirt. She is anxious about standing up. She is uncomfortable and bloated all day in her school skirt. She is counting the minutes until she can get home. I have been there myself. No girl should have to choose between her education and her dignity, simply because a school rule states that she must wear a skirt. Would the Minister not want to give that child her dignity? In the Committee, we also heard stark stories from young girls — Astrid and Rhea's stories in particular stood out — about getting nettle stings on their legs during PE sessions. Seriously? It is a question of common sense. It is about dignity and equality. It is about ensuring that all pupils can wear a school uniform that is comfortable and practical.
821 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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