UUP delegation meets Education Minister

An Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) delegation has expressed its continuing concerns over post primary education during a meeting with the NIO Education Minister Jane Kennedy yesterday.

UUP Education spokesmen Danny Kennedy and Ken Robinson also pressed the minister on topics such as academic selection and plans for a common curriculum. Both men also expressed the need for an end to the seemingly constant cycle of consultation in education stating that teachers, parents and other groups are suffering from what they said was "consultation fatigue".

In a statement read out following the meeting, and on the day that many students throughout Northern Ireland received their GCSE results, Mr Kennedy said: "Regarding post primary education I asked the minister for a status report on where things stand with the working group looking into post primary provision. I expressed my view that it was important that the timetable would be met.

"I also reminded the Minister that 64% of parents favour retention of some form of academic selection."

Mr Robinson added: "I pressed the Minister on nursery and pre-school provision particularly with a view to extending the free places schemes.

"Also alarming is the number of young teachers leaving college who are unable to get full-time teaching jobs in Northern Ireland. I put it to the Minister that we could guarantee the use of teachers if we established task forces dedicated to deprived areas."

Jane Kennedy described the meeting as constructive but said that any decision on future post-primary arrangements would not be taken until she had considered the Working Group’s advice.

However, the Minister did agree to take on board the points raised by both men.

(MB)