AQW 40689/22-27

Ms Paula Bradshaw
Alliance Party
South Belfast

Tabled Date: 16/02/2026
Answered On Date: 24/02/2026
Priority Written: No

Question:
To ask the Minister of Education to detail any advice his Department has provided to schools or education authorities arising from the joint union report on Good ventilation in schools and colleges and how to achieve it.

Answer:

The Department has noted the joint union report on ventilation in schools and colleges. The Education Authority (EA) continues to use the ventilation guidance it provided to schools in December 2021 which accompanied the rollout of carbon dioxide (CO₂) monitors. Although this guidance was developed as part of the Covid-19 response, it is fundamentally about improving ventilation and remains relevant to school settings.

Both the EA and the Department rely on the expert advice of the Public Health Agency (PHA) and the Health and Safety Executive for Northern Ireland (HSENI) when considering matters such as ventilation and the potential role of air filtration systems. All actions taken by the EA to date have been guided entirely by this expert public health and safety advice.