The Ulster Unionist Party’s Education spokesperson Danny Kinahan has demanded clarity from the local Education Minister John O’Dowd following comments by the Secretary of State for Education in which he said that it is time for England, Wales and Northern Ireland to go their separate ways on GCSEs and A-levels.

Mr Kinahan, who is also the deputy chair of the Assembly’s Education Committee, commented:

“John O‘Dowd really needs to explain how we have arrived at the situation whereby a Conservative Education Minister is pushing for separation of exam systems. How has O’Dowd allowed relationships between London and Belfast to deteriorate to the point whereby Michael Gove has decided separate exam systems need to be implemented?”

“Under Sinn Fein’s stewardship of the Education Ministry, morale within our schools has plummeted and there has still been no progress on resolving the problem of completely unregulated transfer tests. I would now have major concerns that Northern Ireland is facing the decoupling of our examination system from that operating in England.”

“Whilst the Minister will no doubt be keen to provide reassurances that when it comes to applying for university places, our examination system will continue to carry equivalent weight as those operating elsewhere in the UK, I would nonetheless have concerns that breaking away from the traditional system will make it more difficult for large UK employers to assess all job applicants equitably.”

“Northern Ireland has one of the best education systems in the world and it is a source of deep regret that Sinn Fein seems determined to do all it can to destroy all that is good within it.”