Latest releases
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24 releases
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Minister putting unsustainable additional workload on teachers, says Mathison, ahead of TransformED motion
Alliance education spokesperson Nick Mathison, Strangford MLA, says the Education Minister's TransformED reforms are adding unsustainable workload for teachers during an industrial dispute, and calls for them not to be rushed ahead of an Assembly motion on the issue.
Education Issue: TransformED education reforms announcement Original release: Minister putting unsustainable additional workload on teachers, says Mathison, ahead of TransformED motion (opens in a new tab)Archived copy, Internet Archive capture of 9 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Carroll: Teachers Right to Take stand. Minister Must Deliver Not Delay
People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll backs teachers and school leaders in industrial action, urging Education Minister Paul Givan to deliver a funded plan cutting workload instead of seeking more time on the workload review's 27 proposals.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher workload industrial action and Independent Teacher Workload Review implementation Original release: Carroll: Teachers Right to Take stand. Minister Must Deliver Not Delay (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 3 October 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Zero Action on Teacher Workload - Carroll Backs Teachers' Strike Mandate
People Before Profit's Gerry Carroll backs five teaching unions that have voted to strike over workload, and calls on Education Minister to implement the 27 recommendations of the 2025 workload review without delay.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher workload review and industrial action threat Original release: Zero Action on Teacher Workload - Carroll Backs Teachers' Strike Mandate (opens in a new tab)Archived copy (captured later), Internet Archive capture of 11 November 2026 (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher Strike Ballot Delivers a Clear Message to Givan
People Before Profit's Cllr Shaun Harkin says DUP Education Minister Paul Givan has provoked confrontation with teachers over workloads, pay and underfunding, and calls on him to address teachers' pressures. He also says Givan should have left his post and sends solidarity to teaching unions.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher strike ballot announcement and Education Minister Paul Givan Original release: Teacher Strike Ballot Delivers a Clear Message to Givan (opens in a new tab)
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Carroll: Givan's Education Bill is a Trojan Horse Attack on Teachers
People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll condemns the Education Minister's forthcoming bill as a Trojan horse that pairs religious education reform with a provision punishing teachers for lawful industrial action. He says he will oppose it in the Assembly debate.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Education Minister Paul Givan's forthcoming Education Bill on religious education and industrial action Original release: Carroll: Givan's Education Bill is a Trojan Horse Attack on Teachers (opens in a new tab)
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Mathison expresses solidarity with school leaders following dispute with department
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison, who also chairs Stormont's Education Committee, expresses solidarity with school leaders after the NAHT declared an official dispute with the Department over unresolved workload pressures. He urges the Education Minister to meet head teachers and find…
Education Issue: NAHT trade dispute over school leaders' workload Original release: Mathison expresses solidarity with school leaders following dispute with department (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher pay deal welcome but action still needed on working conditions, says Mathison
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA welcomes the acceptance of the 2025/26 teacher pay offer by the Northern Ireland Teachers' Council, but calls on the Education Minister to set out how he will manage pay pressures and to act on workload and working conditions.
Education Economy and employment Issue: NITC acceptance of 4% teachers' pay offer Original release: Teacher pay deal welcome but action still needed on working conditions, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher pay deal welcome but work starts now on meaningful delivery from minister on workload, says Mathison
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA welcomes the teacher pay deal accepting a revised 5.5% offer for 2024/25, including an independent workload review, but says the Education Minister must now deliver promised changes on workload.
Education Economy and employment Issue: NITC acceptance of 5.5% teachers' pay offer Original release: Teacher pay deal welcome but work starts now on meaningful delivery from minister on workload, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Hugely disappointing pay negotiations for teachers have broken down, says Mathison
Alliance education spokesperson and Education Committee Chair Nick Mathison MLA says teacher pay talks with the Department of Education have broken down, warning children will suffer from action short of strike. He calls on both sides to return to the table, and urges the Department to rebuild…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher pay negotiations breakdown and action short of strike Original release: Hugely disappointing pay negotiations for teachers have broken down, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Classroom Assistants deserve proper recognition and support, says Alliance Education representatives.
Alliance MLAs Nick Mathison and Michelle Guy call on the Education Minister to set out a clear plan to support, develop and reward Classroom Assistants, following an Ulster University report into the workforce. They raise concerns about temporary recruitment and incomplete Access NI checks.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Ulster University report on Classroom Assistants in Northern Ireland Original release: Classroom Assistants deserve proper recognition and support, says Alliance Education representatives. (opens in a new tab)
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Mathison welcomes pay and grading agreement
Alliance Education Spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA welcomes the agreement reached on the pay and grading review for school support workers, ending a long dispute that included industrial action last year. He stresses their importance in special schools and says fair pay is needed to aid recruitment…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Pay and Grading Review deal for school support staff Original release: Mathison welcomes pay and grading agreement (opens in a new tab)
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Egan and Mathison welcome fair employment legislation for teachers coming into operation
Alliance's Connie Egan and Nick Mathison welcome the start of operation of fair employment legislation covering teachers, which ends their exclusion and bars recruitment discrimination on grounds of religion across Northern Ireland.
Disability and equality Education Issue: Fair employment legislation for teachers comes into operation Original release: Egan and Mathison welcome fair employment legislation for teachers coming into operation (opens in a new tab)
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Finance Minister must provide urgent update following strike announcement, says Mathison
Alliance's Nick Mathison MLA, Chair of the Assembly's Education Committee, calls on the Finance Minister to urgently update on efforts to secure Treasury funding for a non-teaching school staff pay and grading review, to pause planned strikes in May and June.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Non-teaching school staff strike announcement over pay and grading review Original release: Finance Minister must provide urgent update following strike announcement, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Disappointing to see non-teaching staff overlooked, says Mathison after resources not found for pay and grading review
Alliance's education spokesperson Nick Mathison, MLA for Strangford, says it is disappointing that the Finance Minister has not allocated funding for the pay and grading review affecting non-teaching school staff. He argues the money is needed for special schools and urges the Education Minister…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Budget omits funding for non-teaching staff pay and grading review Original release: Disappointing to see non-teaching staff overlooked, says Mathison after resources not found for pay and grading review (opens in a new tab)
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Non-teaching staff cannot be overlooked, says Mathison as pay dispute continues
Alliance spokesperson Nick Mathison says non-teaching school staff cannot be overlooked and urges delivery of their delayed pay and grading review. He says Alliance has sought an urgent update from the Finance Department on the business case and wants strike action avoided in 2024.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Non-teaching school staff pay and grading review industrial action Original release: Non-teaching staff cannot be overlooked, says Mathison as pay dispute continues (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher Strikes Across The North
People Before Profit commends teachers for striking over pay and school funding, calls for coordinated strikes across public and private sectors, and blames Tory budget cuts and Stormont's pay decisions for the dispute.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Teacher strike action across Northern Ireland, November 2023 Original release: Teacher Strikes Across The North (opens in a new tab)
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Our schools are beyond crisis point and minister is needed, says Mathison, ahead of further strike action
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA says schools are beyond crisis point ahead of NAHT joining teaching unions in strike action on 29 November. He calls for a locally elected Education Minister in post and blames the DUP's boycott of the Executive.
Education Economy and employment Issue: NAHT strike action announcement for 29 November schools dispute Original release: Our schools are beyond crisis point and minister is needed, says Mathison, ahead of further strike action (opens in a new tab)
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Disappointing no Education Minister to engage with non-teaching staff ahead of strikes, says Mathison
Alliance MLA Nick Mathison criticises the lack of a sitting Education Minister to negotiate with non-teaching school staff before their full strike on 16 November. He calls for fair pay for these workers and says he has raised pay and minimal disruption for pupils with special educational needs…
Education Economy and employment Issue: School support staff strike over pay on 16 November 2023 Original release: Disappointing no Education Minister to engage with non-teaching staff ahead of strikes, says Mathison (opens in a new tab)
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Mathison says non-teaching staff industrial action is yet another reason to restore Executive
Alliance Education spokesperson Nick Mathison MLA says impending industrial action by non-teaching school staff is another reason to restore the Assembly and Executive immediately. He backs the unions, urges the unions and the Education Authority to resolve the dispute, and says he will contact…
Education Economy and employment Issue: Non-teaching school staff industrial action announced by Education Authority Original release: Mathison says non-teaching staff industrial action is yet another reason to restore Executive (opens in a new tab)
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Teacher strike action should be a catalyst for the DUP to get back to work, says Egan
Alliance Education spokesperson Connie Egan MLA says teachers' full-day strike over pay should prompt the DUP to end its boycott of Stormont and restore the Executive and an Education Minister. She says teachers are undervalued and underpaid and calls for a negotiated pay solution.
Education Economy and employment Issue: Five teaching unions strike over pay in Northern Ireland Original release: Teacher strike action should be a catalyst for the DUP to get back to work, says Egan (opens in a new tab)