Ruane Says Underachievers 'Can Do Better'

Those who don't do well in the academic setting of NI schools need help to achieve more.

That's according to NI Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, who has said educational underachievement must be tackled on every front - and also further reinforced her stance on academic selection for children leaving primary education.

The Minister (pictured) was responding to the 'Better Odds at School' policy briefing from Save the Children.

The Minister said: "I welcome the rationale behind the Save the Children policy briefing and would support the view that, collectively, we need to do much more to ensure that those at greatest of risk of educational underachievement are supported to reach their full potential.

"Since becoming Minister I have made it a priority to tackle underachievement and promote equality and the raising of standards in all our schools, especially standards in literacy and numeracy.

"It has also been a priority to remove the inequality caused by our two-tier education system through removal of the 11 plus and publication of the Transfer 2010 guidance," she said.

"Academic selection is a failed system, socially and educationally. It creates and sustains injustice and inequality.

The Department's policy is for equality in education not testing of ten year olds," she continued, again making her point over the abolition of controversial academic selection at age 11.

"However, we need also to realise that schools alone cannot deliver the change that we all want to see.

"Good leadership and great teaching within a school can and does make a positive difference - but much more needs to be done within communities to support the work of schools; to encourage young people and their families to have aspirations for their future; and to send out clear signals about the value and importance of having a good education.

"In order to support lower income families I have introduced specific measures, such as the primary school uniform grant and have extended the eligibility for free school meals," she continued.

"It is also important to note that within the money schools receive through the Common Funding Formula, a significant amount of nearly £50m in the current financial year is targeted specifically to assist schools in addressing the problems arising from social disadvantage and need.

"I have asked, as part of a review of this Formula, that priority is given to ensuring that funding genuinely targets social need to counter the disadvantages that many children face because of where they live."

The Sinn Fein Minister said she will be publishing a new literacy and numeracy strategy designed to support schools in raising standards in this crucial area.

This is one of a range of evidence-based, inter-connected policies aimed at improving outcomes for our young people, particularly those from the most disadvantaged communities who too often face both monetary poverty and poverty of aspirations.

"Those policies include my school improvement policy, the new Transfer arrangements, the revised curriculum and the Entitlement Framework, the Achieving Belfast and Derry programmes, the review of special educational needs and inclusion, the early years strategy and my work through the North South Ministerial Council on co-operation and the sharing of best practice in tackling educational underachievement," she concluded.

(BMcC/GK)