Ulster Unionist MLA Danny Kinahan has demanded that the Education Minister ensures that the ongoing Consultation process regarding Area Planning for schools is both genuine and fully transparent and not driven by dogma.

South Antrim MLA Mr Kinahan, who is also Vice Chair of the Stormont  Education Committee, said:

“Today I am calling upon the Education Minister, his department and all those involved in the Area Planning changes that are ongoing, to open up to the ideas and opportunities that this sea change in our education system offers.

This is a massively important issue which will alter the educational landscape for decades to come and it is absolutely vital that those directing this process are open-minded and do not simply plough on following restrictive dogma with minds closed to innovative and fresh ideas that could really lift our struggling education system.

Currently each of the Board areas is consulting on options for the reorganisation of post primary education and this is soon to be followed by a similar exercise affecting primary schools.

Unfortunately there appears to be no serious intention of encouraging shared education, and we have a process which has not engaged with parents, which is happening out of sync with the ESA changes and departmental changes in Further and Higher education, which does not consider career needs and which is being forced through as part of a Sinn Fein dogma with no other cross party discussions other than some hidden promises made between the DUP and Sinn Fein at St Andrews!

We have a Minister who has indicated that he listens and has said when discussing special needs that he is 'in conversation' with all the stakeholders. This at least has raised the hope that that some consultation is being carried out with some intention of listening to people and to possibly altering or amending the intentions as a result.

We need the Area Planning exercise to not be blinkered and to listen to all those who have an interest in education and to show that the Minister really is 'in conversation' and listening to what people are telling him.

We must use this opportunity to lay the foundations for a shared, and ultimately single education system that places Northern Ireland at the heart of European and global business and not limit ourselves to educating our young people within a very narrow outlook on the world. We need an agreed long-term strategy and a proper thorough plan for communicating with the parents, teachers and the business world so that this change has a chance of achieving the results we require.

We simply cannot continue as we have been because both the present consultation process and my experience to date on the Education committee, has demonstrated that the Department has a closed mind with no intention of amending its ideas and making this area planning initiative any more than a consolidation of so much that is wrong at the moment.

This will not deliver what the pupils and parents of today and tomorrow require and it simply cannot be allowed to continue.”

ENDS