AQO 3468/22-27 Oral question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education whether the Education Authority has engaged with Translink on proposals by Hazelwood Integrated College in relation to changes to the time the school finishes each day and the subsequent changes required to school bus timetables.
Asked by Nuala McAllister MLA on 16 April 2026
- Answered
- Oral
- Answered in the Chamber
- Tabled
- 16 April 2026
- Answer due by
- 27 April 2026
- Answered
- 27 April 202611 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
Answered in the Assembly Chamber on 27 April 2026. Extract from the Official Report (Hansard), including any supplementary questions:
Mr Givan
The Education Authority is responsible for the delivery of school transport for eligible pupils, and Translink is responsible for the timetabling of its bus services. I understand that the EA is aware of the Hazelwood Integrated College's proposed change to its school finishing time and that it met with the school, Translink and party representatives on Friday afternoon. A solution was agreed, and transport services will be adjusted to accommodate the school's new finishing time from September.
Miss McAllister
I thank the Minister for his answer. I am glad that the Education Authority got involved last week. It is deeply frustrating that it was not until elected representatives got involved that we saw movement. I commend the vice principal, Ms Jackson, on really pushing this issue. She has been working hard to facilitate all the students. Will the Minister ensure that, in the future, Translink tries to accommodate, alongside the Education Authority, any changes that are made, especially if principals are going out of their way to facilitate what is best for Translink?
Mr Givan
I thank the Member for her work in this area and for making representation on behalf of the school. It should not take MLAs to get involved for these decisions to reach the right outcome. On occasion, however, that is necessary. It speaks to the wider point that, ultimately, schools have the autonomy to determine their start and finish times. There is a process for them to do that in the minimum requirements that are set out in the relevant departmental circular, but we need to find ways to coordinate with Translink on the delivery of public services and with the EA on its school transport bus services. That, at times, can present challenges. Certainly, in my constituency, schools try to take into account how best Translink's public services can be provided for when they are timetabling. There is flexibility, but there also needs to be pragmatic timetabling by schools. I am pleased that, in this particular example, there has been a successful outcome.
Mr Martin
The Minister referenced a departmental circular in his answer. Is there guidance already in place for schools that are considering changing their start and finish times?
Mr Givan
It is laid out in a relevant circular, but that speaks to the minimum requirements when it comes to when schools should be open. Obviously, school governors can take those decisions, but cooperation with Translink and the EA on service provision is important. That is why we have been communicating with schools, as they have been setting their new timetable for the next academic year, that there are services that the EA will provide — the likes of catering services — and that there will be some days when schools are open but catering services are not available. I appeal to schools to work with the EA to ensure that, when they are open, all services can be provided. If you have one or two schools deciding to take a different approach to how they timetable their schools, it can have an impact on their own children and young people. That is something to bear in mind when it comes to the opening hours on which schools decide.