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The Department of Education is currently embarking upon a
consultation exercise on schools for the future entitled "A
Policy for Sustainable Schools". The Report of the Independent
Strategic Review of Education, otherwise known as the Bain
Report published on 4th December 2006, examines the challenges
facing the education system in Northern Ireland and includes
recommendations on how these challenges might be addressed.
The focus on the report is on improving the educational experience
of all children across Northern Ireland.
Flowing from its examination of the effectiveness and efficiency
of the education system, the Report includes recommendations
on sustainable schools. The enrolments of primary schools
and secondary schools are a key factor in informing consideration
of a school's viability but there are others.
The consultation document considers the issue of sustainable
schools in the context of the Report's recommendations and
identifies a number of criteria and associated indicators
to help inform considerations of viability. This is an important
policy area that will shape the school's estate of the future.
The consultation paper examines many of the issues facing
the future of our schools here in Northern Ireland and includes
a total of 61 recommendations to address the challenges facing
education and sets out the educational, social and economic
arguments for change.
Whilst the consultation paper continually reiterates the
term, "quality of children's education", one has
to seriously question the true motives behind such an exercise,
particularly in Northern Ireland where some of the best examination
results are achieved.
A BBC news report in August 2005 reported the following national
statistic relating to each of the regions where pupils attained
Grades A* to C were England: 60.8%, Northern Ireland: 71%,
Wales: 61.3%, All boys: 57% and All girls: 65.2%.
Furthermore figures released by the CCEA following the 2006
examinations showed that 69% of students in the province attained
A* to C grades at GCSE, an increase of 0.6 percentage points
on the previous year. The figure for A* grades rose by 0.8
to 6.9% for 2003.
At A Level, A grades/pass rates recorded across the UK were,
England: 23.8% / 96.5%, NI: 32.4% / 97.7%, Wales: 23.9% /
96.9%, demonstrating once again that Northern Ireland students
were by far performing much better that their fellow students
across on the mainland.
Statistics such as these prove that the current educational
system in Northern Ireland is working exceptionally well and
would automatically rubbish any suggestions made in the consultation
paper that there is a need to change the Northern Ireland
system for the sake of change. Understandably, the Government
is seeking best value for money and that's a fact with all
aspects in the world of commerce. However, the question continually
being asked in the consultation paper is about sustainability
and the viability of schools.
So perhaps we need to look at the statistics and the excellent
track record of our schools and examine the argument in more
detail. Is smaller schools good value for money? Do pupils
learn and achieve more in the larger school environment?
According to a Secondary Schools League Table published in
the Irish News last September, where schools were ranked in
order of the percentage of pupils who achieved five or more
GCSE's at grades A* to C, it is very evident that many smaller
schools were out performing and delivering results at a higher
rate than some of the larger schools.
Why then is the Government embarking upon this consultation
and what are the potential risks for some of our best schools?
It's possible that the Government is using this consultation
process as a means of forcing integration upon the young people
of Northern Ireland, by closing the best performing schools
in order to achieve their own self interests.
The consultation outlines three main forms of working together
to address the need for sustainable schools and which are
consistent with the Bain Report. The report focuses on the
ideas of Amalgamation when a new school is formed to replace
two or more schools of similar size coming together, Federation
and Collaboration which involves small schools combining to
form a single school with one Principal and one Board of Governors
but operation on two or more sites and Clustering and Cooperation
which would be an agreement between schools to work together
for the general good of their pupils and could include sharing
of facilities.
We cannot afford to sit back and rely upon others to speak
out on behalf of our young people. For too long we have solely
depended upon our political representatives to speak on our
behalf. On this occasion we need to voice our strongest concerns
to the Department of Education through this consultation exercise.
We should not sit back and watch the Government destruct the
best education system in the United Kingdom.
Therefore it's imperative that we all speak up for our local
hardworking schools who not only provide for all the educational
needs of our young people, but are an essential part of the
community as they provide employment as well as an excellent
community resource.
To receive a copy of the consultation document entitled "A
Policy for Sustainable Schools", you can contact the
Department of Education, Development Branch, Sustainable Schools,
4th Floor Rathgael House, Balloo Road, Bangor, Co. Down. BT19
7PR, by telephone on 028 9127 9444 or via email on sustainable.schools@deni.gov.uk
David Scott
Community Education Officer
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