27th August 2025
INTO is deeply concerned with the Department of Education’s Consultation Summary Report on proposals to strengthen inspection legislation, which confirms the Department’s intention to press ahead with plans to make it a criminal offence to obstruct a school inspection.
Mark McTaggart, INTO Northern Secretary stated,
I cannot fathom how the Minister of Education can decide to proceed with plans to make it a criminal offence to obstruct a school inspection, based on the results of a public consultation that actually rejects such punitive action. The Minister of Education’s ‘Trump-esque’ decision to ignore the vast majority of respondents has the potential to permanently damage industrial relations with all of the teaching unions and their members for years to come.
Marty Lavery, INTO Northern Committee Chairperson stated,
As a parent, teacher and Chair of Northern Committee I am disgusted with the Minister of Education’s decision to proceed with legislation to criminalise teachers engaging in legitimate industrial action. It is indicative of the society that we now live in for an elected representative to make such a decision based on their own opinion and not of those whose votes actually matter. As Chair of Northern Committee, I object, on behalf of our members, to the dismissal of the views of the large majority of respondents to the public consultation who rejected the need for inspection legislation. I will work with all concerned to seek a reversal of this Minister’s decision as it will only serve to undermine the teaching profession and ultimately affect our children’s education in the long run.
INTO has also responded as a member of the NITC, statement is available HERE