Storm chaos: Burrows demands urgent review of school closure comms after parents left scrambling

Ulster Unionist Party Education spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has urged the Minister of Education to launch an urgent review into how school closure decisions are communicated, after chaotic scenes during Friday’s severe storm across Northern Ireland.

Mr Burrows said that while pupil safety must always be the priority, poor communication from the Education Authority left schools, parents and pupils scrambling at the last minute.

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While safety, especially the safety of our young people, must always come first, the lack of clear and timely communication from the Education Authority caused chaos for schools and families across the country,” he said.

Classrooms in Antrim, Londonderry, Tyrone and Fermanagh were already filled with pupils when emails from the Education Authority arrived on Friday morning, instructing schools to close from midday.

“As a result, parents, pupils and staff were left scrambling with very limited time to make alternative arrangements. Had schools and families been notified even a couple of hours earlier, many of these chaotic scenes could have been avoided,” he added.

Call for stronger contingency planning

Mr Burrows praised the work of school leaders but stressed that last-minute decisions placed unnecessary pressure on staff and parents alike.

“School leaders do an outstanding job under difficult circumstances, but they need sufficient warning to plan ahead. Last-minute notifications put staff under enormous pressure and leave parents struggling to arrange childcare and transport.

“There should have been much better communication and coordination between the Department of Education and the Met Office ahead of Friday’s storm. The severe weather had been forecast for several days, and it is understandable that many schools are angry about how this was handled.”

To prevent a repeat of the confusion, Mr Burrows has called for a multi-agency debrief to identify lessons learned and improve emergency response planning.

“The Minister of Education should direct a multi-agency review so that in future information is communicated more quickly to schools, parents and partners such as Translink. In a digital era, critical information should not be delivered solely by email.

“The Minister should urgently explore the use of a mobile communication app to ensure vital updates reach schools and families faster and more reliably,” he said.

The call comes amid growing public frustration after parents and schools across Northern Ireland criticised the handling of closures during the storm, which had been forecast for several days in advance.

The Education Authority (EA) released a statement on Friday evening thanking everyone for their cooperation following the school closures.

“The Education Authority would like to thank everyone for their support and cooperation in relation to today’s school closures.

“We regret the disruption that was caused, but would again emphasise that safety will always be our overriding priority

“We very much appreciate that today has been a very challenging day for schools, pupils, and families, as well as for Translink and our own staff.

“While we expect the vast majority of all schools to open as normal on Monday, some disruption may potentially be caused due to the impact of the storm on school buildings and grounds. Some school meal menu options may also be impacted if supplies are affected.

“The Education Authority has this afternoon issued updated information and advice to schools in relation to potential disruption, including contact arrangements for critical repairs.”