The Education minister has “let down pupils, parents and teachers in Northern Ireland and allowed our education system to stagnate”, according to NI Conservatives’ spokesperson, Mark Brotherston.
“The latest report from the Education and Training Inspectorate makes dismal reading and it reveals that John O’Dowd and his Sinn Féin predecessors have failed utterly to tackle underachievement in Northern Ireland’s schools”, Mark commented. “Instead, they have used the education portfolio to spread division, attack certain sectors where standards are high and pursue blatantly ideological objectives. There has been far too little focus on what is best for young people or the views of parents and teachers.”
“Sinn Féin has held the education portfolio on an on-off basis since 1999, with the result that four out of ten children now leave school without five good GCSEs, Northern Ireland’s system is not regarded as world class and shared schooling is being held back, despite overwhelming demand from parents. We need proper leadership for schools. We need a system which recognises and rewards excellence, examines best practice and works closely the schools and principals where there are problems. We also need a strategy to tackle segregation in schools. In short, if we’re to deal successfully with the problems which this report highlights, we need an education minister who works for all schools and children, rather than using his post as a party political tool to spread division.”