11 September 2026

SDLP Opposition Education Spokesperson Cara Hunter MLA has welcomed the Education Minister's decision to guarantee girls the right to wear trousers as part of their school uniform, but said it was absurd that it had taken so long to get to this point.

Cara Hunter MLA said:

"This is a welcome U-turn from the Minister, but nobody should pretend we needed to take the long road to get here. Young women and girls told the Minister clearly what needed to change, and he had every opportunity to act sooner.

"When his own school uniform legislation was before the Assembly, there was a straightforward opportunity to deal with this through amendments. Instead, that opportunity was passed up. It has taken months of public pressure and the Education Committee pursuing separate legislation for the Minister to finally arrive at the right decision.

"It is unacceptable that so much time and effort has been wasted getting here. The Minister needs to explain why he could not have acted earlier, and why significant time and public resources have been spent pursuing legislation to fix a problem he has now shown could have been addressed by his own Department. The young people who spoke up, challenged the existing rules and refused to let this issue disappear deserve the credit for forcing this change.

"The Department must now deliver. This cannot be a right that exists on paper but becomes an argument at the school gate. The Minister must ensure every school across the North understands exactly what is required and that the new rules are applied consistently. Girls have waited long enough for this choice, there can be no more foot-dragging."