Member's statement: School Uniform: Trousers
Member's statement by Mrs Cathy Mason on .
- MLA
- Mrs Cathy Mason
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 15 September 2026
- Type
- Member's statement
- Business
- Members' Statements
- Heading
- School Uniform: Trousers
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5705470
Read the official Assembly record
Text
DUP Education Minister Paul Givan's U-turn on girls' right to wear trousers to school, while really embarrassing for him, is an important win for girls and for all those who campaigned for that simple choice. Remember that this is the same Minister who told everyone that his guidance and legislation were enough to give girls that choice. We knew that the Minister was wrong, and he has now been forced to concede. Girls should always have had the right to wear trousers to school if that is what they choose to do. It should never have been controversial, and it definitely should not have taken this long to put in place. The Minister had the opportunity to guarantee that right in his school uniforms legislation, but he failed to do so. It should not have required more resources, more time, more energy and further legislation from the Education Committee to force his hand and to embarrass him into movement on something so basic. The Minister needs to take his head out of the sand and listen to all the voices in our education system, be they on teacher workload, SEN reform, school transport, TransformED — his pet project — or girls having the right to wear trousers. If the Minister would listen, he could avoid more embarrassing U-turns by standing up and supporting school leaders and staff — our teachers and classroom assistants — families and, most important, our pupils. We welcome the fact that the Minister has finally given girls the choice, but rest assured: we will watch the Minister closely to ensure that he follows through and that our girls are not let down again.
277 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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