A Vision for Equality of Opportunity and Access

"We have now been presented with a vision for education which allows us the potential to move away from a debate which has become focused on "for" and "against" academic selection.

“The Minister presents us with an opportunity to have a serious engagement with the real issues - that of the centrality of children's needs - rather than to take part in a sterile debate on how we retain existing structures and mechanisms. She has suggested that local communities will have a say in deciding the form that education might take in their areas - something already agreed as a part of the RPA and area based planning.

"We believe that this is the correct way to proceed as it empowers communities to voice their opinion on how they wish their children to be educated. Think of the possibilities that this would allow for local solutions rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach.

“The proposals recommend the removal of academic selection and this is welcomed by the Council as this is something for which we have long campaigned. The Minister also deals with inequalities in educational provision and opportunities in her paper and as this is an area long overdue to be addressed, it should be welcomed by all fair minded people. It also allows local communities to be creators rather than consumers of educational provision, something which we in the integrated movement have long championed.

“The proposals present a range of core principles and values but leave the detail to be discussed. Those of us involved in education need to rise to this challenge by showing leadership at this time by coming together to discuss the details and not react by retreating into the territory of well worn catch phrases and point scoring exercises.

"The new entitlement framework focuses on age 14 so whatever decisions we make on the way ahead, 14 will be a key stage in a child's educational choice. Area based planning - again agreed - will be based upon community decisions on school provision and so will dove tail into the new proposals which the Minister has made today.

"We have a tremendous opportunity now to come together and discuss ways in which we might create a process, supported by an appropriate system, which would allow children to fulfill their potential - regardless of where they live or their social background. We owe it to those same children not to squander this opportunity because of vested interests or personal opinions."