January 2025
The Youth Assembly have started the New Year off with a bang! Another busy month of legislation and inquiries …
Department of Education Consultations
Youth Assembly Members worked with the Department of Education this month giving evidence on the Curriculum Review, the review of School Improvement and the Free School Meals and School Uniform Grant eligibility criteria. They conveyed a youth perspective on these important issues that directly impact young people and their families.
One of our Youth Assembly Members, Harry, attended an online meeting about the Curriculum Review on 21 January.
Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Health: Tobacco and Vapes Bill
On 23 January 2025, the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Health published their report on the ‘Legislative Consent Memorandum on the UK Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill’.
The Youth Assembly has been involved with the Tobacco and Vapes Bill as far back as April 2024 and it’s great to see the views of Youth Assembly Members being featured in the report.
Read the ‘Legislative Consent Memorandum on the UK Government Tobacco and Vapes Bill’ report.
We’ll be watching carefully as this Bill progresses through Parliament
Public Accounts Committee Inquiry "Developing the Skills for Northern Ireland's Future"
On 22 January, Youth Assembly Members met with the Public Accounts Committee Deputy Chair Cheryl Brownlee MLA and officials to discuss their inquiry into skills and careers in Northern Ireland.
Members were invited to give evidence directly to the Committee on 30 January. At the evidence session in the Senate Chamber, four Youth Assembly Members (Rory, Paige, Bláthnaid and Harrison) spoke about their own experiences of careers provision in their schools, the access and promotion of vocational education and apprenticeships and whether the current curriculum is meeting the skills needs in Northern Ireland.
Keep an eye out for the upcoming YAM TV video following our Members behind the scenes as they give evidence to an Assembly Committee.
All our YAM TV videos are available to view on our website.
Youth Assembly Committee Meetings
The Youth Assembly Health Committee met with the Minister of Health, Mike Nesbitt MLA, to tell him about their work on mental health in schools, to discuss the current provision available in the school setting and to learn more about what the Department of Health are doing to improve the mental health of pupils. The Committee will soon host a youth participation event to gather the views of young people on this important issue. Watch this space for more information.
The Youth Assembly Education Committee and the Rights and Equality Committee met to plan their upcoming surveys around the teaching of Learning for Life and Work and young women’s rights in schools respectively.
Both of these Committees will be launching their surveys in March 2025, so if you would like to be involved, make sure you keep up to date on our social media so that you can have your say!
What's next?
Women’s Parliament
Our female Youth Assembly Members will be attending the Women’s Parliament at the end of February to meet MLAs and watch the debate in the Assembly Chamber.
Justice Bill
Youth Assembly Members will be meeting to discuss the details of this important Bill and the potential impacts of the Bill on children and young people.
Youth Assembly Committees
The Education Committee and the Rights and Equality Committee will be reviewing their surveys ahead of their release and the Health Committee will be finalising their plans for their mental health youth stakeholder event.
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