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Bradley: School reform must have orderly transition

SDLP Education spokesperson Dominic Bradley MLA has called on Education Minister to follow the paths of consensus, consultation and orderly transition in pursuing reform of the educational system

Tue 16th March

Speaking in the Assembly on a debate on funding of preparatory schools, he said: “The most important people to be considered in this debate are the children who are at the heart of the issue and that anything that we say or do here today should be guided by their best interests.

“There are currently a total of 2,426 pupils, representing approximately 1.5% of the primary school population, attending the 16 preparatory departments of grammar schools in Northern Ireland. The Bain Report in 2006 recommended that their funding should reviewed.

“In the 2009/10 year each preparatory pupil attracted grant aid funding of £808 (approximately 30% of teaching costs). The argument is that on the grounds of equality the present situation is unsustainable; because not all parents can afford to send their children to preparatory schools and that therefore there is not equal access.

“The total amount allocated to the preparatory departments in 2009/10 is £1,960,685. However, if the children attending these schools were to be redirected into the ordinary school system there would be an additional £3 Million per annum in direct costs not to mention the cost in jobs, the impact on local communities, to the schools themselves and of course the impact on the children which this sudden upheaval would cause.

“I am not convinced that the way in which the Department has gone about managing change in this instance is in the best interests of the children concerned. Change at this particular time could and will impact severely on families who send their children to preparatory schools and on the children themselves. It is not clear that the Department has weighed carefully the impact of that change on children’s education and on the lives of families. Undoubtedly this uncertainty leads to a great deal of anxiety for children and parents alike.

“Careful consideration needs to be given to the extent to which children affected by the proposed changes in funding can be accommodated in primary schools adjacent to their own homes. Area-based planning which would have helped deal with the placement of pupils and which should be at a more advanced stage of development by now has not been progressed to the extent necessary to deal with the relocation of a large number of pupils over a wide geographical area.

“One would question whether or not this is the appropriate time to withdraw fund from preparatory schools – given that the Department of Education’s budget is under severe pressures to the extend of around £140 million. Departmental officials are telling the Education Committee that it will be extremely difficult for them to make the savings necessary without impacting on front line services. Surely a move which will place additional pressures on the Department’s finances is ill conceived at a time of hard choices and dwindling budgets.

“The impact of change on other sectors of the education system should be fully explored by the Department of Education. Change should not be declared unilaterally but should be agreed between the Department and the schools over a reasonable and agreed time frame in a way which enable schools, teachers, parents, and pupils to manage in a systematic and orderly fashion. That is what our amendment is calling for. “

DUP/UUP Motion: Funding for Preparatory Departments

That this Assembly notes the Department of Education’s decision to withdraw funding from the preparatory departments of grammar schools as demonstrated by the Department’s budget proposals for 2010/11; believes that the consultation process undertaken by the Department does not meet with the Sedley requirements on the standards of proper consultation; considers that this proposal is contentious and should be considered by the full Executive; recognises the excellence in terms of attainment achieved by those pupils attending preparatory departments and the value for money that these departments represent in terms of funding by the Department of Education; further believes that the withdrawal of such funding would represent a false economy, suppress social mobility and restrict parental choice; and calls on the Minister of Education to reverse the decision.

[Miss M McIlveen]

[Mr B McCrea]

[Mr M Storey

[Mr J McCallister]

SDLP Amendment:

Proposed: leave out all after ‘attending preparatory departments’ and insert:

‘and that the timeframe for withdrawal of funding will have an adverse effect on their wellbeing; believes that the financial implications have not been adequately assessed; and calls on the Minister of Education to enter into discussions immediately with the schools’ representatives with a view to determining a solution acceptable to the schools’ authorities and the Department.

[Mr D Bradley]

[Dr A McDonnell]

Mr C McDevitt]

[Mrs M Bradley]