Will summer holidays break the education deadlock?

Yesterday the Minister for Education, Caitriona Ruane, formally tabled her guidelines to school’s on Transfer 2010. The proposals were welcomed by her party colleagues in Sinn Fein and questioned by every other MLA in the House. After nearly two and a half years of devolved government it appears the Minister is no more able today to build a consensus then she was when she took office.

Speak to many in the educationsector and they will tell you there is a major crisis looming. Ask the Minister’s fellow MLAs and they will say that she appears to have very little interest in finding compromise on the issue.

Nearly a year ago an eminentand progressive educationalist warned me that were now in a “race to the bottom” where everyone would be a looser.

Some months ago I floated a series of principles aroundwhich a positive discussion might take place. As there appears to be damn little else being suggested I commend them to all for summer reflection. If the DUP and SF are unable to agree a way forward surely the other big parties could seek common ground?

• Agreement that 14 is a better age at which to exercise pupil and parental choice about possible transfer for the final four years of education;
• Agreement to further develop thinking about a collegiate based system;
• Agreement to guarantee parents and pupils access faith based education;
• Agreement that an early intervention strategy should be developed to support children from deprived socio economic backgrounds during primary and early second level education;
• Agreement to consider and draw on international best practice when developing these proposals;
• Agreement that the system must be based on a commitment to social equity and educational excellence at every level;
• Agreement that the change programme would be rolled out over at least a five year period, allowing up to ten years for any institutional realignments to take place;
• Agreement that an interim regulated system should be introduced immediately.