September 2026
It’s back-to-school season, and Youth Assembly Members have hit the ground running. This month, Members shared young people’s views on school uniform, progressed committee projects and came together for their second plenary session.
Here’s what they’ve been up to…
Speaking up on the School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill
School uniform is an issue that matters to many young people, and Youth Assembly Members have been working hard to ensure their views are heard. Over the summer, Members reached out to young people across Northern Ireland to gather evidence on the School Uniform (Trousers) Bill which would give all pupils the right to wear trousers to school and other appropriate leg coverings for sporting activities. We would like to thank the 260 young people who took part in our online survey. Their responses showed overwhelming support for the Bill. 92% of those surveyed said they wanted to see the Bill enacted. Armed with this evidence, Youth Assembly Members presented their findings to the Ad Hoc Committee on the School Uniform (Trousers) Bill on 15 September. Speaking directly to MLAs, Members explained why they support both clauses of the Bill and highlighted the importance of ensuring that any changes are implemented consistently across all schools. At the meeting, Youth Assembly Member Isabella said: |
“The Youth Assembly has raised issues relating to school uniform on several occasions and previously provided evidence on the School Uniforms (Guidelines and Allowances) Bill. We were disappointed that most of the recommendations from the Youth Assembly and other young people, including those to give a universal right to wear trousers, were not included. We are so grateful to the Committee for Education for bringing this Bill and for listening to the voices of young people. Since preparing this evidence, the Minister has announced that he intends to introduce guidelines to give the right to all pupils to wear trousers to school and leg coverings for sport. We welcome the fact that action is now being taken and that the concerns raised by young people are being recognised. We would like to place on record our recognition of the young people, youth organisations and Youth Assembly Members, across past and present mandates, who have consistently called for change on this issue. This announcement is a significant milestone and reflects years of advocacy by young people determined to see their voices translated into action.” |
This was a fantastic opportunity for Members to influence the legislative process once again and make sure the voices of young people are represented in decision-making. Read the Youth Assembly’s report and watch their evidence session on our website: https://niyouthassembly.org/assembly-committee-work/ |
Youth Assembly Members pictured with members of the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Ad Hoc Committee on the School Uniforms (Trousers) Bill, Parliament Buildings, Tuesday 15 September 2026.
Youth Assembly Second Plenary
Youth Assembly Members from the 2025-2027 cohort held their second plenary session on Saturday 19 September. Members participated in training on debating, speech writing and effective public speaking, helping them develop the skills needed to take part in Youth Assembly debates.
Following lunch with MLAs including Peter McReynolds, Matthew O’Toole and Nick Mathison, Members moved to the Assembly Chamber for their plenary session, which was presided over by Deputy Speaker John Blair MLA. They provided updates on the work they had undertaken since their previous plenary in January before debating the motion they had selected:
“This Youth Assembly believes stronger regulation of social media is a better solution than a ban for under-16s.”
The motion passed with 51 votes for the motion, 10 against and 3 abstentions.
The Youth Assembly has written to the Prime Minister Andy Burnham to outline their views on the proposed social media ban.
The Official report from the plenary will soon be available on our website: https://niyouthassembly.org/official-report/
To see a roundup of the day’s events, and hear from Deputy Speaker John Blair and Youth Assembly Members Saul and Gretta, follow this link: https://niyouthassembly.org/welcome-to-y-a-m-tv/
Youth Assembly Members with Deputy Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, John Blair MLA, Matthew O’Toole MLA, Nick Mathison MLA and Peter McReynolds MLA in the Great Hall, Parliament Buildings, Saturday 19 September 2026.
Youth Assembly Committee Work
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On 8 September, the Youth Assembly Health Committee met online to discuss the next steps in their project on the impacts of social media addiction on young people. Members reviewed and refined a draft survey, helping to finalise plans for gathering evidence and shaping the committee’s recommendations. The committee intend to analyse the Hansard record of the recent plenary debate on social media as part of their research, identifying key themes and perspectives to help inform their final report. |
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The Youth Assembly Education Committee also met online on 8 September to progress their project on the cost of education. Members reviewed and finalised a survey designed to gather Youth Assembly Members’ experiences and opinions. Members of the Committee conducted the survey on 19 September at the Plenary event and will analyse the findings at their next meeting. |
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On 9 September, members of the Youth Assembly Rights and Equality Committee met online to continue work on their project, which explores violence against women and girls from the perspective of young men. The committee agreed a focus for their research and reviewed a draft survey to be shared more widely. Members provided feedback and suggestions to strengthen the survey, helping to shape the next stage of the committee’s evidence-gathering work. In October, members of the committee will attend the launch of the Executive Office report ‘What Young Men in Northern Ireland think about Masculinities and Violence Against Women and Girls.’ |
Health
Education 
Rights & Equality
Youth Assembly Members with the selected Youth Assembly Committee topics: Health (mental & physical), Rights & Equality and Education in the Assembly Chamber, Parliament Buildings.
Coming Up
3 October: Curriculum Consultation with Department of Education
12 October: Executive Office Report launch on Ending Violence against Women and Girls
Social Media
Facebook: Northern Ireland Youth Assembly
Instagram: @niyouthassembly
X: @NIYouthAssembly
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