Radical new future delayed
The Education Minister Caitriona Ruane has declared her intention to press ahead with the Review of Public Administration reforms of the Education sector.. but it will be delayed until April 2009. The official statement also mentions the area based planning from the 61 recommendations of the Bain Report but not the report itself. However, let’s be optimistic.. we might, after all – subject to the scrutiny of the Education Committee and the Assembly – see that “foundation for a radical new future for Northern Ireland’s education system” actually being put into place. Unless there are any objections?
Lets have a radical change. Faith schools go private if they wish. The state system becomes the free education system for all. Selection at 11 ends. All pupils transfer at eleven to junior high school where the curriculum emphasises Literacy,Numeracy,Technology,Sport and Health Education,Personal and Social Development,Civic Education,Local History and Geography and Foundation Courses in Science,Social Science,Arts and Humanities.
At 14 pupils choose a five year course at Grammar School or Vocational College.
Schools that become obsolete within the new economic and educational rationalisation are used as community cultural and educational centres or are sold to finance development of the new schools required.
No selection-it is replaced by choice-no blighted declining secondary schools living with the annual fear of closure because grammar schools start taking a comrehensive range of pupils-the expertise in the system is made available to all-we develop a more skilful,aware and literate work force.Importantly the state system will eventually become fully integrated.
We really need a bold approach that tackles the key challenges in relation to the way our young people are educated.
A “re-arranging deck-chairs” approach will not solve the problems in the education system or enable that system to bring our young people together so they can be enabled to access the opportunities that our new political dispensation will afford.
T.Ruth
T. Ruth,
The schools with the best results are those where the children are taught through Irish. If we’re going to be really radical……?