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Ministers unite to seek transfer talks
Friday, 23 October 2009
enlargeTwo of Northern Ireland’s Ministers have called for a single item Executive meeting to take place before the end of November to discuss the thorny issue of school transfers.
In a joint article written for today’s Belfast Telegraph, UUP leader Sir Reg Empey and Social Development Minister Margaret Ritchie stressed the need for urgent action at ministerial level to break the deadlock over what should replace the 11-plus exam.
Their comments come as over 6,000 people back our Sit Down, Sort it Out campaign — which calls for Executive talks to find a resolution in time for this year’s P6 pupils to transfer in 2011.
In just over three weeks, thousands of pupils across Northern Ireland will sit the first paper of new entrance exams.
Sir Reg, who is Employment and Learning Minister, and South Down MLA Ms Ritchie said that the failure of Sinn Fein to engage in talks with the other parties “is a disappointing abdication of responsibility”.
They continued: “We are calling for a single-item agenda Executive meeting to be held before the end of November to allow the Executive to at last discuss post-primary transfer.
“That meeting of the Executive must deliver a pledge to ensure that an interim statutory transfer process will be in place for next year's P7 pupils, pending a longer term solution.
“The Executive should also set up a sub-Committee — with representation from each of the four parties — to address other educational issues.”
They also pledged that both their parties would work with the others to ensure that a proposal of an interim statutory transfer process moves quickly through the Assembly.
Education Minister Caitriona Ruane turned down a previous proposal to set up a ministerial sub group on school transfer.
Sinn Fein's education spokesman John O' Dowd said: “The Executive failed for two years to discuss the Minister of Education’s proposals on transfer. The Minister’s policy of Transfer 2010 has since been introduced and will remain in place.
“The UUP response is predictable even though it is in direct contradiction to their senior partner’s position, the Conservative party, which opposes academic selection.
“However Margaret Ritchie of the SDLP needs to clarify her position as possible leader of the SDLP.
“Is she now stating that under her leadership the SDLP support bringing back the 11-plus?
“At a time when both parents and schools are moving away from selection, the SDLP allows itself to be duped into throwing a lifeline to those desperate to cling on to the past.”
The DUP’s Mervyn Storey, chairman of the Assembly’s education committee, said: “I welcome the suggestion from Reg Empey and Margaret Ritchie.
“The DUP has indicated repeatedly that we are prepared to sit down and discuss how we take this issue forward with all of the political parties.
“There is only one party that is refusing to enter into meaningful round-table discussions — Sinn Fein.
“When this matter previously came to the Executive table Sinn Fein blocked discussions taking place on any proposals other than those put forward by the Minister. Their decision to do so is a gross disservice to parents and pupils and betrays a fundamental lack of confidence in their own arguments.
“Caitriona Ruane cannot continue to refuse to talk with people on the future of our education system because they don't agree with her.
“Such a position is unhelpful and I trust that Sinn Fein will see their folly as a result of the cross-party work taking place and the support for the Belfast Telegraph’s campaign on the matter.
“Parents, pupils and teachers deserve better than that from the Education Minister.”
Earlier this week, representatives from four of the political parties held their second weekly meeting.
Sinn Fein has so far boycotted the talks and branded them a publicity stunt.
The parties exchanged papers this week and will have a longer, more substantial meeting next week.
Background
There is no clear procedure to guarantee that items will go on to the agenda for Executive meetings. Agendas are often finalised only hours, and sometimes minutes, before Ministers meet.
Since devolution was restored, the pattern has tended to be for most issues to be dealt with in a series of pre-meetings, mostly involving party officials rather than Ministers.
No individual departmental head can force an issue to be debated without the prior agreement of rival party representatives.
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i see the circus is in town but clowns still wont attend maybe they are still miffed about eu vote ,ruane your ego is now in space bring it to earth and sit down and do what you like to do about yourself.......talk
Posted by liam | 28.10.09, 06:41 GMT
mrs mccabe Belfast-I read your article and was baffled by your views on academic selection. I am a p7 parent and without selection my child would not get the best education she deserves, she would be sent to our nearest all ability school which is not competing well with other schools in our area, how is that benefitting my child? Until all schools are equal for the better you cannot take away the chance to win a place in the best. Unfortunately this year has been a more stressful year, with schools being instructed not to do preparation for the unregulated tests but if my child gets the place in the school she wishes to attend then it will have been worth it and if she doesn't well at least she will know she tried her best.The scrapping of the 11 plus does not sort out the problem of inequality within certain areas but it does take away the chance for children of those areas to better themselves in schools which are trying to bring the best out of those children.
Posted by rm | 27.10.09, 15:50 GMT
The eleven plus is gone and good riddance to it, all our children deserve a quality education. The time for talking has passed, the Minister has taken decisive action and we need to start looking at the other positive developments in education such as the Entitlement Framework.
Posted by mrs mc cabe belfast | 27.10.09, 10:31 GMT
How can you scrap somehting without a set, working and proved system to replace it?
Also I believe that the scrapping of the 11 plus will prove to be one of the greatest mistakes in the history of education in N.Ireland. When N.I has the best education results and highest standards in the UK.
Catriona Ruane and Sinn Feins views on education are completly warped. Why drag down the top level of education just so its all seen as "fair" and non selective. In my opinion the grammer schools have every right to introduce their own enterance exams.
Its just a shame that its going to work out worse for the children than sitting the one fixed test that everyone does.
I dont believe any other party nationalist or unionist would have caused this problem and raped northern ireland of the bright and intelligent minds that it might have had.
Posted by MC | 26.10.09, 13:05 GMT
The polictical parties were given at least two years to discuss and influence the Minister's proposals on transfer at age 11. For one reason or another they didn't bother. They now try to put all the blame on Ruane, who whilst not blameless, should not take all the flak for the current farce.
The DUP and the UUP want to retain academic selection at age 11 (SDLP, not sure?). In the meantime P7 parents are voting with their feet; only about 50% of children will be sitting this year's tests. (although no-one knows the true number because we have no idea how many children are in for both AQE and GL tests).
Whilst I can understand the UUP position, given their natural constituency, I am surprised at the DUP stance; academic selection disadvanatges the large majority of their working-class protestant power base. I also suspect that the BT, given their previous editorial positions, is broadly in support of acedemic selection and I therefore would not support their campaign.
Posted by P7 Parent | 23.10.09, 13:38 GMT