NEWS

Ulster Unionist education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA As Northern Ireland begins to recover from the widespread disruption caused by Storm Chandra, renewed criticism has been levelled at the Department of Education over its handling of school closures during severe weather events. The storm brought significant challenges across the region, including power cuts, flooding and travel disruption, with more than 346 schools forced to close in response to weather warnings. In the

Onjali Q. Raúf at Slemish College (Images: Cindy Robinson Photography) Pupils at Slemish College in Ballymena have begun a special three-day programme with one of the UK’s most celebrated children’s authors, Onjali Q. Raúf , as her school visit got under way on Tuesday, 27 January. The award-winning writer and children’s rights activist is spending three days at the school, engaging pupils in conversations around storytelling, empathy and social change. During her visit, Onja

Joanne Deighan, Senior Commercial Manager, Belfast International Airport and Jaclyn Coulter, HR Director, Belfast International Airport. Belfast International Airport is set to host its first major recruitment event of 2026, offering more than 100 job opportunities as it prepares for a busy summer season and continues a £100 million transformation programme. The New Year Jobs Fair will take place on Saturday 31 January 2026, from 11am to 3pm, at the Voco Hotel in the Gasworks

Buick Memorial Primary School, Cullybackey has received a £5,000 donation from Galgorm Collection. Pictured alongside pupils, Evie Speers, Phoebe Cangque, Kyle Chiyangwa, Zara Murray, Finlay Stewart and Jude Ferguson, are Colin Johnston, CEO Galgorm Collection and Principal Rikki Peters.  Two local primary schools in the Ballymena area are set to benefit from a £10,000 community donation from Galgorm Collection, reinforcing the hospitality group’s ongoing commitment to educat

Leading UK manufacturer Wrightbus is opening its doors to the next generation of engineering and manufacturing talent as part of Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week and National Apprenticeship Week, with two dedicated careers events at its Ballymena headquarters. The bus maker will host an Apprenticeship Open Night and a dedicated Insight Day, offering up to 60 individuals the opportunity to explore careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering across a wide range of dis

Schools across Northern Ireland remain open for now as Storm Chandra approaches, with the Education Authority (EA) confirming that there are no current plans to issue general school closure notices, with amber and yellow weather warnings coming into force. The EA said the potential impacts on schools are being kept under review, as strong winds and the risk of flooding are forecast to affect parts of Northern Ireland tomorrow. The developing situation has already been discuss

A lethal fungal pandemic once blamed for driving amphibians towards extinction may now be losing its grip in tropical regions, according to a major new global study led by Queen’s University Belfast. The research suggests that many tropical amphibian species have evolved resistance to chytridiomycosis – the most destructive wildlife disease ever recorded – raising cautious optimism that some populations may be stabilising or even beginning to recover. Chytridiomycosis, caused

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Councillor Jackson Minford pictured with a group of students participating in the Activate Your Curiosity event More than 400 young people from across Northern Ireland were given a hands-on insight into the world of science, technology, engineering, arts and maths (STEAM) as the flagship Activate Your Curiosity (AYC) event returned to Ballymena. The fourth AYC event took place at The Braid, Ballymena, on Tuesday 20 January, welcoming Year 10 stud

Northern Ireland is set to introduce statutory miscarriage leave and pay from April 2026, marking a significant extension of workplace protections for parents experiencing pregnancy loss. Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald has published the Department for the Economy’s consultation response on introducing statutory miscarriage leave and pay, confirming the creation of new legal rights for employees affected by miscarriage or other forms of pregnancy loss at any stage. The

Around 700 senior pupils at St Louis Grammar School in Ballymena took part in a powerful and emotive road safety experience this month as the Ballymena Neighbourhood Police Team (NPT) attended the award-winning Roadsafe Roadshow. The event, held on Thursday, January 15, brought together the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS), the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and a range of partner organisations to deliver a hard-h

Proposed south elevation of new sports pavilion A planning application has been submitted for the development of a new two-storey indoor sports pavilion within the grounds school in Ballymena, marking a significant investment in modern sporting facilities for pupils and the wider community. The proposal, lodged for Ballymena Academy on Galgorm Road, seeks full planning permission for a purpose-built sports facility designed to replace existing temporary modular buildings curr

Mrs O'Neill (Principal) and Declan Wright (Board of Governors) cut the ribbon to officially open the new Science Rooms along with Darragh Brennan (Head Boy) and Dearbhla O'Neill (Head Girl) St Louis Grammar School has officially opened two new purpose-built Science rooms, marking a significant investment in STEM education and the future opportunities of its pupils. The state-of-the-art facilities provide modern laboratories and flexible teaching spaces designed to support hig

(L-R) Valeria Watts, Interim Chief Executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, David Nichol, HSENI Board Member, Elise Logan, Lead Environmental Health Officer,  Laura Hughes, HSENI Inspector,  Mayor Councillor Jackson Miniford, HSENI Deputy Chief Executive Nicola Monson, Clement Kennedy, Environmental Health Manager, John McVeigh, Interim Director of Community at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd. Mid and East Antrim Borough Coun

Parents of 19 boys suspended from Lisburn’s Laurelhill Community College have called for an internal investigation using CCTV footage relating to alleged incidents at the school. The parents have also asked the Education Authority (EA) to step in directly, saying they are “defending our children” as fellow pupils come forward with eyewitness accounts of what took place. The male students were suspended for one day on January 9, following an assembly. The school principal rai

Pupils from Castle Tower School, Ballymena on an adventure of a lifetime to the ski slopes of Falgoria, Italy. Pupils from Castle Tower School have returned home with new skills, renewed confidence and memories that will last a lifetime following a memorable ski excursion to Italy. Last week, Castle Tower School joined a Core Kids group made up of Rosstulla, Ballycarricmaddy, Thornfield and Carnalridge for a ski trip to Falgoria, Italy. The experience marked a series of impor

(L-R) Tina McMullan, Business and Improvement Advisor ETTNI, Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey, Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick and Jessica Smyth, Business Development Project Officer LMP Fully funded programme offers local electrical professionals qualifications in solar PV, battery storage, and EV charging installation Fifteen qualified electricians from the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough are set to benefit from a groundbreaking new training initiative designed to prepare the l

A group of 19 boys have been suspended at a Co Antrim school, with parents making an official complaint about the principal’s actions amid concerns relating to “toxic masculinity”. An official complaint has now been made to the school’s board of governors by most of the parents regarding the disciplinary actions taken by the principal, who suspended the students following an alleged incident at a school assembly on January 8. The matter has come to light as the Education Auth

The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has launched a new recruitment campaign for student officers and Custody Detention Officers, calling on people from all backgrounds and communities to step forward and help build a safer, more connected Northern Ireland. The campaign was officially launched on Wednesday 14 January 2026 and will run over the next three weeks. Members of the public will see a wide-ranging advertising push across broadcast and print media, as well as

Kells & Connor Young Farmers’ Team ‘Tour de Kells’ leaving Kells in Ballymena, Co Antrim – Andrew Millar, Alex Millar, Adam Lyttle, James Fullerton and Zoe McIlroy Five members of Kells & Connor Young Farmers Club (YFC) have completed an impressive long-distance cycling challenge, raising thousands of pounds for a Northern Ireland children’s charity. The group — Andrew Millar, Alex Millar, Adam Lyttle, James Fullerton and Zoe McIlroy — took on the “Tour de Kells” challeng

Parents across Northern Ireland have welcomed a move by the Department of Education to formally endorse the Parent Pact, a voluntary initiative encouraging families to delay giving children a smartphone until at least the age of 14. The Department has written to all school principals in Northern Ireland to raise awareness of the Parent Pact, developed by Smartphone Free Childhood, a grassroots parents’ movement representing more than 350,000 families across the UK. Launched i