Sandra Overend MLA, the Ulster Unionist Party education spokesperson, has said that the non-acceptance of her new clause to the Shared Education Bill is the latest example of the Assembly failing to deal with the issue of fairness in teacher employment in Northern Ireland.

The Ulster Unionist Party had tabled an amendment to the Shared Education Bill, which would have repealed the teacher exception to the Fair Employment and Treatment Order (FETO) in Northern Ireland. 

Sandra Overend MLA said:

“The Shared Education Bill has been deemed to be too narrow in its focus for our amendment to be listed, debated and voted upon at consideration stage. Whilst it is very disappointing that our fair employment clause has been ruled out on a technicality, it is merely the latest in a whole series of episodes where the Assembly and the Executive have utterly failed to legislate on what should be a non-contentious issue. It is amazing that in 2016, teacher appointments are not subject to fair employment legislation.

“The Ulster Unionist Party brought this issue to the fore, when we debated a motion which was passed by a majority vote in April 2013.  Again we successfully debated and passed a resolution on the matter last April.   Questions about ending the exception to the Fair Employment and Treatment Order 1998 have been repeatedly asked to both the Minister for Education and the First and deputy First Ministers.  However, this issue has been passed back and forward for years, with no one in the Executive accepting responsibility or taking action.

“The fundamental question is this: do we want fairness, equality and a shared future or do we not? All, but a handful of independent schools in Northern Ireland receive 100% state funding, therefore the taxpayer should not be subsidising discrimination.  If we are moving to shared education then there should be a genuine move towards having a teaching workforce in all schools and in all sectors which reflects the wider population. 

“It is inexplicable that this issue has not been dealt with.  If we cannot amend the Shared Education Bill we will try again to amend the next suitable piece of legislation.  The Ulster Unionist Party will certainly have a commitment to repeal the teacher exception to fair employment in our next manifesto.”