Ulster Unionist Party Education Spokesperson, Danny Kinahan MLA has called for John O`Dowd to halt his ideological war on grammar schools so that the focus can be placed on other positive aspects of the “Advancing Shared Education” report.
Mr Kinahan said, “The entire focus of the past 24 hours has been on one very divisive, ill-conceived recommendation whilst there has been little on the main body of the shared education report. If John O`Dowd doesn`t change his ways, the report is likely to suffer the same fate as the Eames Bradley report.
“Sinn Fein`s insistence on an ideological crusade against grammar schools and selection has poisoned the entire debate.
“The Ulster Unionist Party is absolutely committed to shared education being the long term goal for our education system, and yesterday’s report has very sadly lost its way as the initial reaction has not surprisingly been the shock at its full frontal attack on selection and grammar schools.
“The report suggests that we put a statutory duty in place establishing a central unit to ensure that shared education is progressed with clear targets and goals through regional structures, alongside research and evaluation to make certain it all happens in a way that respects all the different sectors. This is exactly what the Ulster Unionist Party would like to see and must not be lost in the fervour of a Sinn Fein/DUP spat.
“It is time that Sinn Fein and the DUP actually facilitated all inclusive discussions and consensus rather than endless manufactured spats.
“Our children, teachers and parents deserve better.”