AQW 13445/22-27 Written question to the Minister of Education
To ask the Minister of Education to detail the number of schools currently supplying students with free period products.
Asked by Claire Sugden MLA on 17 June 2024
- Answered
- Written
- Tabled
- 17 June 2024
- Answer due by
- 2 July 2024
- Answered
- 26 June 20249 days after tabling
- Department
- Department of Education
- Priority question
- No
Answer
My Department has provided funding for free period products in schools since September 2021, under the Period Dignity Pilot Scheme. The scheme will conclude on 30 June 2024 to make way for extended, permanent provision under the Period Products (Free Provision) Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 (The Act).
In April 2023, 88.3% (1,053) of pupils, responding to a CCEA survey on the pilot scheme, confirmed that free period products were available in their school. Overall school engagement with the pilot scheme was excellent and is set out in the following table:
| Sector | Number of schools | Number of schools ordering through scheme supplier | % |
| Grammar | 73 | 62 | 85% |
| Secondary | 150 | 135 | 90% |
| Special | 37 | 37 | 100% |
| Total | 260 | 234 | 90% |
| Adjusted * | 248 | 234 | 94% |
*Adjusted for 12 non-ordering boys’ schools
796 (100%) of Primary Schools were provided with an allocation of free period products at the start of each academic year and a small number of post-primary schools made their own purchasing arrangements. These schools are not included in the above table.