Official Report: Minutes of Evidence
Committee for Education, meeting on Tuesday, 1 July 2025
Members present for all or part of the proceedings:
Mr Nick Mathison (Chairperson)
Mr Pat Sheehan (Deputy Chairperson)
Mr Danny Baker
Mr David Brooks
Mrs Michelle Guy
Ms Cara Hunter
Mr Peter Martin
Mrs Cathy Mason
School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill: Formal Clause-by-clause Consideration
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): The Committee will now formally determine and set out its position on each of the proposed amendments and each clause. If required, on any of the amendments on which there is disagreement, we will divide as necessary. All decisions taken today on the final Committee report will be final. If the Committee is not content with a clause, the Committee can register its formal opposition to the Question that the clause stand part of the Bill. That would ensure that that clause in its entirety is debated at Consideration Stage. I also advise members that it is anticipated that the Committee will conclude all formal deliberations at today's meeting, and, at tomorrow's meeting, we will set aside time to agree the final report in our usual Wednesday slot.
Are members content with all of that?
Members indicated assent.
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): Also, just to make sure that everybody is where they need to be in their information packs. I recommend that members have a copy of the Bill in front of them. We will begin at page 4 of the tabled papers, where we have the specific text of each amendment. I will refer to each amendment by its number, which is the number that was allocated to each of them in the process of drafting them.
Clause 1 (Guidelines as to policies on school uniforms)
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): Five amendments have been proposed to the clause. I will read them in turn, and members can follow them in the table referenced.
Amendment No 1: In page 1, line 10
"Leave out 'from time to time' and insert 'at least once every three years'."
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(1A)(1) When developing or reviewing such guidelines, the Department must have due regard to the requirements of Articles 3, 14, 23, 28 and 29 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child adopted and opened for signature, ratification and accession by General Assembly resolution 44/25 of 20 November 1989.
(1B)(1) The Schedule sets out the text of Articles 3, 14, 23, 28 and 29 referred to in section (1A)(1)."
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
Mr Martin: Just the amendment. We will not divide on the clause.
The Committee Clerk: Yes.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"Leave out 'may' and insert 'must' "
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"After 'who' insert ', including pupils and their parents or guardians,"
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(6) The Department must lay any guidelines issued under this section before the Assembly."
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendments, put and agreed to.
Clause 2 (Particular matters for inclusion in guidelines)
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): There is a bit more to get through here. A total of 10 amendments have been proposed to the clause.
Amendment No 6: In page 2, line 12, at the end, insert —
"(1A) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provision prohibiting any aspects of school uniform policies which restrict choice of items of clothing on the basis of sex or gender."
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"After 'pupils,' insert 'including with respect to menstruation'"
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(aa) practicality of clothing in relation to play-based curricula and outdoor learning, including within the Foundation Stage (as defined by the Education (Curriculum Minimum Content) Order (Northern Ireland) 2007)"
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"(aa) promoting the safety of pupils with regard to road traffic"
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(2A) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provision requiring school uniform policies to allow reasonable accommodations for cultural difference, religious practice, disability or special educational needs."
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
The Committee Clerk: Yes.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"(2A) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provision requiring school uniform policies to ensure all items of clothing required are available for purchase from at least one retailer or provider which does not hold any formal or informal contract or agreement with the school relating to provision of such items of clothing
(2B) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provisions specifying that subsection (2A) will not apply to any school uniform policy which includes a statement from the school manager explaining how a contractor agreement delivers value for money with respect to items of clothing required by the school uniform policy".
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(2A) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provision requiring a manager of a school to publish, at least once per year, information regarding any formal or informal contracts or agreements which the school holds with any retailer or provider relating to provision of items of clothing required by the school uniform policy.
(2B) Provision under subsection (2A) does not apply to any contracts or agreements which were in place before this Act received Royal Assent".
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(2A) Guidelines under this Chapter must require each school to facilitate or participate in a uniform reuse, loan or bank scheme".
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(2A) Guidelines under this Chapter must include provision requiring school uniform policies to permit reasonable adjustments for pupils with a disability or special educational needs where items of clothing required by those policies cause distress or sensory discomfort or present a barrier to participation".
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(2A) The Department must issue guidance in consultation with relevant advocacy groups and organisations on how schools may adapt uniform policies to accommodate pupils with a disability or special educational needs".
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
Question put, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendments.
The Committee divided:
Ayes 6; Noes 2.
AYES
Mr Baker, Mrs Guy, Ms Hunter, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Sheehan.
NOES
Mr Brooks, Mr Martin.
Question accordingly agreed to.
Clause 3 (Express limit on specific styles by guidelines)
"leave out 'may' and insert 'must'"
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
Question accordingly agreed to.
"(2) In particular, guidelines under this Chapter must include provision requiring school uniform policies to require no more than four items of clothing which bear school-specific features.
(3) Guidelines under this Chapter must further include provision prohibiting school uniform policies from requiring school-specific features on any shirt, blouse, trousers, skirts, tights, socks, or shoes.
(4) For the purposes of this section, an item of clothing bears school-specific features if it is
(a) branded with a crest, logo, motto, emblem, marking or name which is distinctive to the school,
(b) of a particular make, style, combination or fabric or
(c) otherwise identifiable as a distinctive element of the school uniform.
(5) Guidelines under this Chapter must, where practicable, include provision requiring school uniform policies to permit the application of badges, emblems or markings to generic items of clothing as an alternative to items of clothing bearing school-specific features".
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): We have a difference of opinion on amendment No 17. As Chairperson, I would not support this going forward at this time but would support an amendment being worked on separately by members on dealing with the issue of branded items. I have some concerns about the specific wording.
Are there other members who wish to pass comment or bring this one to a Division? Do we simply note that there is a difference of opinion?
David?
Mr Brooks: Chair, I have similar concerns to you, and we will take any further proposals as and when they come.
Mr Sheehan: We do not wish to divide on it, but we want the fact that we wanted the amendment to go forward to be noted in the report.
The Committee Clerk: In the private session, I took down:
"Let the report reflect that a number of members wanted to bring this forward but that there was not Committee agreement about this wording. Without sight of guidelines and without a clear direction on a cap, this is a particularly difficult amendment to draft, and, overall, members wanted to do further work together after the Committee Stage to work further on precise wording and ensure the intended effect and avoid unintended consequences."
Members indicated assent.
The Committee Clerk: That will be in the report. Thanks.
Question put, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendment.
The Committee divided:
Ayes 6; Noes 2.
AYES
Mr Baker, Mrs Guy, Ms Hunter, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Sheehan.
NOES
Mr Brooks, Mr Martin.
Question accordingly agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 4, put and agreed to.
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): It is proposed to insert an additional clause 4A between the drafted clauses in the Bill through amendment No 18: After clause 4 insert —
"Reporting on school uniform costs and capping of expense
4A. (1) The Department must publish a written report, at least once every three years, detailing–
(a) Its assessment of the cost of school uniforms and their components, including mean costs, median costs and factors contributing to these, and
(b) The effect of any capping of expense included in guidelines as a result of section (4), or if no such capping of expense has been set, the reasons for this, and
(c) Its subsequent plans for
(i) Reviewing and, if appropriate, amending the guidelines, and
(ii) Imposing, ending or otherwise modifying any capping of expense.’
(2) The first report under paragraph (1) must be published within the period of 3 years beginning with the date on which this Act receives Royal Assent."
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 5, put and agreed to.
Clause 6 (Duty of schools to adhere to guidelines)
"(3) A manager of a school must publish and operate procedures to enable complaints to be made concerning the school uniform policy, which must include provision permitting the school a maximum of three calendar months to issue a final response to any complaint."
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): We will come straightforwardly to clause 6 as amended, if that is the most simple way to do it, as there is only one amendment.
Question put, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendment.
The Committee divided:
Ayes 6; Noes 2.
AYES
Mr Baker, Mrs Guy, Ms Hunter, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Sheehan.
NOES
Mr Brooks, Mr Martin.
Question accordingly agreed to.
Clause 7 (Directions on adherence to guidelines)
"Leave out subsections (1) and (2) and insert –
‘7.—(1) The Department must give directions as follows to a manager of a school if the Department is satisfied that the manager is (or staff at the school are) in one or more material respects failing to adhere as required to guidelines under this Chapter.
(2) The Department may give directions to a manager of a school as follows if the Department is satisfied that the school’s pupils are liable to disciplinary measures or participatory disadvantages at the insistence of the manager (or of staff at the school) in consequence of breaching a school uniform policy applying at the school."
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"Leave out paragraph (b)"
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
"(8) Where the Department gives directions to a school, it must publish these within three months of the directions first being given."
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendments, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 8, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 9, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 10, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 11, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 12, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 13, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 14, put and agreed to.
"leave out 'Sections 3 and 4 come' and insert 'Section 4 comes'"
Question, That the Committee is content with the amendment, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with the clause, subject to the proposed amendment, put and agreed to.
Question, That the Committee is content with clause 16, put and agreed to.
Question put, That the Committee is content with the amendment.
The Committee divided:
Ayes 6; Noes 2.
AYES
Mr Baker, Mrs Guy, Ms Hunter, Mrs Mason, Mr Mathison, Mr Sheehan.
NOES
Mr Brooks, Mr Martin.
Question accordingly agreed to.
The Chairperson (Mr Mathison): That concludes the clause-by-clause consideration of the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill. We will conclude the Committee Stage tomorrow, when we will agree the final Committee report.