‘A behaviour tsar alone won’t fix classrooms’: Jon Burrows calls for real consequences in schools

Inset: Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows

The appointment of a new independent behaviour adviser for Northern Ireland schools must lead to meaningful change in classrooms rather than simply creating another title, Ulster Unionist education spokesperson and party leader Jon Burrows has said.

Responding to Education Minister Paul Givan’s announcement this week of a review of school behaviour policy and the appointment of behaviour expert Tom Bennett to advise the Department of Education, the North Antrim MLA said teachers and school leaders need practical backing and clear consequences for persistent disruption.

Burrows, who has repeatedly raised concerns around discipline in schools and the growing pressures facing teaching staff, said the real test of the initiative would be whether it changed the culture surrounding behaviour management in schools across Northern Ireland.

Teachers need support when incidents happen

Burrows said many teachers feel unsupported when dealing with serious classroom incidents and want reassurance that school leadership and wider education structures will stand behind them.

He said:

“Most teachers ask for something simple. When things go wrong, they want the principal to have their back, and they want to know that the child who threw the chair is not back in the classroom ten minutes later without so much as an apology.

“Principals want the same from the Education Authority: confidence that when every other option has been exhausted, their professional judgement will be respected.”

Calls for change beyond a new title

The Ulster Unionist MLA said his party was not opposed to the creation of the new role or the wider review of behaviour policy, but warned that expectations would quickly fade if schools saw little change on the ground.

“We are not opposed to this week’s announcement in principle,” he said.

“But it must go beyond the creation of a ‘tsar’ and lead to meaningful change on the ground.

“Schools need a culture where strong leadership is supported, expectations are clear, and there are real consequences for the small minority of repeat offenders, without ever making teachers or the many pupils who come ready to learn feel like they are the problem.”

Concerns over teacher safety and classroom order

Burrows also highlighted concerns he says have been raised with him by female teachers and pupils, arguing that issues surrounding behaviour and safety should not be overlooked.

He said schools must strike the right balance between supporting children facing difficult circumstances and protecting the learning environment for the wider school community.

“We need good order,” he said.

“We should support children who face challenges at home, and there are legitimate concerns around special educational needs (SEN) resourcing that would help teachers do exactly that.

“But empathy has to sit alongside support for the majority who deserve a safe place to teach and learn.

“The behaviour that needs tackling is the disruptive minority in mainstream settings, within a system that too often puts teachers and well-behaved pupils last.”

Teaching colleges could help shape solutions

Burrows also called for Northern Ireland’s teacher training institutions to play a greater role in shaping future policy and practical solutions.

“We are fortunate to have some of the best teaching colleges in the world here in Belfast,” he said.

“We should widen the circle and bring them in to help shape the solutions.”

Review due to report in early 2027

The Department of Education’s review will begin this summer and is expected to conclude in January 2027.

The findings will inform a new departmental behaviour policy and updated guidance for schools, with Education Minister Paul Givan saying the aim is to create safe, calm and purposeful learning environments while giving teachers practical support in managing increasingly complex behaviour.

As the review gets underway, attention is likely to focus not simply on policy documents but on whether teachers and school leaders see meaningful changes in how behaviour issues are dealt with in classrooms across Northern Ireland.