Ulster Unionist education spokesman Danny Kinahan MLA has accused both Sinn Fein and the DUP of ignoring the facts in an Assembly debate about area based planning in education.

Danny Kinahan said:

“I am pleased that the Ulster Unionist Party was successful in gaining the support of all parties in the Assembly, with the exception of Sinn Fein, for a motion calling for the suspension of the area planning process in education.   Even the DUP in the end voted in favour of our motion- despite what I can only describe as an irrational anti-Ulster Unionist rant by the Education committee chairman Mr Storey during the debate.

“As I said in the debate, the area planning process in education is flawed and has failed to follow its two guiding principles, namely , "identify realistic, innovative and creative solutions to address need, including opportunities for shared schooling on a cross sectoral basis; maximise the use and sharing of the existing schools estate".

“Bizarrely the Sinn Fein education spokesman Mr Hazard claimed that we had no given examples of where area planning had not been properly implemented, just moments after I had set out four - in Larne, Armagh, Londonderry and Crumlin.  Area planning was meant to be about looking at the schools estate in a local area and devising a sustainable network, with schools working across the sectorial divide.  This is just not happening.  The maintained sector, for example, has been allowed- despite in some cases opposition from the local Education and Library Board – to unilaterally rationalise their own schools with little or no consideration given to the controlled or integrated sectors. 

“With the recent Justice Treacy judgment casting doubts on the legal basis for area planning, I believe now is the time to pause, and re-think this whole area of planning the schools estate.  I am glad that most of the Assembly agrees with the Ulster Unionist Party on this.”