Post-primary transfer needs to be brought to the Executive table

Responding to educational developments today, UUP Education Spokesperson Basil McCrea MLA has again urged the First and deputy First Ministers to bring the issue of post-primary transfer to the Executive table.

Mr. McCrea said, "I welcome the apparent acknowledgement by the First Minister today that the unregulated transfer system experienced this year cannot continue. While schools and teachers did their best to deal with a ridiculous situation, most reasonable observers accept that a statutory rather than unregulated transfer system is necessary.

"However, this requires the matter to be meaningfully discussed at the Executive table. As my Party Leader Sir Reg Empey has pointed out, the Executive has now discussed the not unimportant matter of animal welfare more times than it has discussed education policy. This travesty cannot continue. The First Minister has today talked at length about education policy. But talking away from the Executive table is of limited value. Northern Ireland needs the First Minister to ensure that the Executive sits down and builds consensus on the way forward for post-primary transfer.

"It is also deeply disappointing that today the Catholic education sector has chosen to act unilaterally on the matter of the future of post-primary education. While fully respecting the right of parents to opt for Catholic education, I and my Party strongly believe that building a shared future in education requires co-operation between the various sectors in the school system. Unilateral moves only reinforce division rather than building a shared vision of the common good in education.

"This - again - comes back to the Executive. The failure of the First and deputy First Ministers to ensure that the Executive discusses post-primary transfer has resulted in further division.