Stormont education minister, John O’Dowd, should start “taking responsibility for Northern Ireland’s disappointing performance in global schools rankings”, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesman, Mark Brotherston.
“Sinn Féin has had the education portfolio since 1999, yet John O’Dowd thinks plummeting standards prove his party is right in its schools’ policy”, Mark observed. “With an argument like that the minister won’t be passing any exams in logic or credibility. Under Sinn Féin, schools have been striving to educate children against a backdrop of chaos around the transfer test, funding and tackling underachievement. Is it any wonder that other countries are making up ground, and even overtaking, a system which was known and respected around the world for excellence?”
“Sinn Féin should stop taking a blatantly political approach to education and start making a genuine attempt to sort our underachievement, rather than penalising excellence. Let’s see an end to divisive funding schemes, support for schools which are doing well, genuine backing for integrated education and a concerted effort to tackle waste, so that money can be found for important projects to help struggling children. We need an education minister for all schools and all pupils, otherwise teachers and schools will keep having their good work undermined and Northern Ireland’s reputation for excellence will be damaged. We certainly need an education minister who takes responsibility for his own department and his own mistakes.”