Progress is possible in education system

Viewpoint

Alliance Party’s Kellie Armstrong

February 15 2022 11:00 AM

Foundations for the system of education in Northern Ireland were dug over 100 years ago. The walls were built solidly and stood unchallenged for decades.

It’s only in relatively recent times that society has started to chip away at what many see as a barrier to progress.

That the Controlled Schools Support Council and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools have very much united in opposition to the Integrated Education Bill shows that both sectors have something to fear from change.

But the churches are a powerful force in education, and they will continue to defend against those who wish to challenge.

Though both maintain they are already offering a level of integrated education, and are open to all pupils who wish to attend, the perception remains that they each serve one side of the community.

That perception needs to change.

Faith-based education naturally alienates those who are not of that faith.

The DUP has now leapt to the defence of both the controlled (Protestant) and maintained (Catholic) sectors.

There will be fears that the private members’ bill, brought to the Assembly by Alliance MLA Kellie Armstrong, has done nothing more than further cement the opposition to change.

But that the latest attempt to progress integrated education is now subject to a Petition of Concern perhaps shows that now, more than ever before, that progress is becoming possible.

If ultimately unsuccessful, the Integrated Education Bill has at least brought the issue to attention.

The level of support it gains from other political parties over the next few weeks will demonstrate just how serious they are about breaking the divide in our schools.

And the public level of support for greater integration will have been noted by the Independent Review of Education, for which we will have to wait another year.

A real challenge will be that if they don’t agree with the contents of the Integrated Education Bill, what do the parties put forward as an alternative?

In the meantime, political parties have shown they can agree on a change for the better. Further progress on the School Age Bill through the Assembly has been made.

It’s a common sense move, and will allow parents of children born between April 1 and July 1, and who would be young for the year, to defer starting school for a year.

Sometimes where there’s a will, there is a way.