Next steps for post primary review

NICVA welcomes the creation of a small Working Group to develop future post-primary arrangements, as announced today (24 April 2003) by Jane Kennedy MP, Minister with responsibility for Education.

The Working Group is to be chaired by Stephen Costello MBE, Chairman of the Northern Ireland General Consumer Council and the Northern Ireland Blood Transfusion Service. It will report back to Ms Kennedy, or the relevant devolved Minister, by 31 October 2003.

NICVA hopes that the proposals which it submitted during the Post-Primary Review Body consultation in 2002 will be taken forward by the Group. NICVA’s response called for a more inclusive education system with equality of learning and resource allocation that centralises the rights of children. The response can be read in full on this site

Members of the Group will be drawn from the Education and Library Boards, Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, Governing Bodies Association of Voluntary Grammar Schools, the Trustees of Catholic Voluntary Schools, the Transferor Representative’s Council (representing the three main Protestant churches), the integrated sector, Council for Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and the further education sector.

The main task of the Group will be to consider the range of responses to the Post-Primary Review, including the diversity of views on academic selection, and to provide advice and recommendations on options for future post-primary education.

Ms Kennedy explained that the announcement came as the result of lengthy discussions: “I have considered carefully the responses to the Burns consultation and, over the last number of months, I have met all the political parties to hear their views on the best way forward. My officials have also met with key education interests, including representatives of parents.There are substantial areas of consensus and we need to build on these to develop future arrangements that will attract broad support .”

Pupils currently in P5 and P6 will still sit the Transfer Tests: “We will want to consider the recommendations from the Working Group before making any longer-term decisions, but for children currently in P4, parents and teachers can be reassured that they will be advised in good time of the arrangements that will apply. ”

Funding

The announcement also contained information of a £500,000 funding package that will enable groundwork to begin, which would suggest that there is commitment to some of the issues that NICVA raised in its response to the consultation. For example:

1. The need for a ‘child-centred’ approach to education that values the individual child.
   
   The £500,000 funding will be used to: develop the Pupil Profile, which will provide a full and rounded picture of a child’s range of abilities.

2. to tackle the “system’s failure to value technical training, technical skills and non-‘academic’ achievement” and its negative impact on the economy.
   
   The £500,000 funding will be used for: the expansion of the range of vocational options by CCEA.

3. The “need for creative entrepreneurs and a flexible workforce willingly engaged in life-long learning”.
   
   The £500, 000 funding will be used to: expand existing pilots of online learning and assessment opportunities and to explore alternative models of collaboration among schools and between schools and further education.

The Minister concluded her announcement saying:“This is an important and complex education issue and I believe that those who have experience of managing and administering the system are best placed to build on the progress that has been made and develop future arrangements that will enable all children in Northern Ireland to achieve their full potential ."

NICVA continues to support the call for a more equal and inclusive post-primary education system for Northern Ireland and looks forward to the findings of the Working Group in October.

Burns Consultation

The report on the responses to the Burns consultation can be found on the Department's website: www.deni.gov.uk/pprb/index.htm