Educational role for UUP man

The local UUP man will act alongside the party's education spokesman Basil McCrea MLA who is likely to become increasingly busy with his role on the Policing Board and monitoring the devolution of Policing and Justice.

The recently re-appointed Deputy Chair says this has resulted in the invite to convene a party-wide group aimed at formulating party policy on education.

The local schoolteacher is ideally placed to analyse the current failings of education policy and was particularly critical of the Education Minister Caitrona Ruane.

"Under the stewardship of Caitrona Ruane, wedded as she is to a flawed doctrinaire Sinn Fein analysis, education has been turned into a struggle of political attrition," he commented.

"The victims are the children and parents who live with the uncertain consequences of her ill-advised and, in view of recent revelations regarding advice to schools, not entirely well-considered policies.

"It will be the task of the UUP committee to consult on a wide-ranging basis with those involved in education to explore the possibility of building a consensus as to the way forward," he added.

Mr Wright said the debate over academic selection was not the only issue causing concern.

"The possibility that ESA will not come into existence anytime soon, if at all, and the proposals of the Council for Maintained Schools clearly aiming to ensure that the Entitlement Curriculum can be delivered within the maintained ethos there are important issues emerging with regard to the future of schools and the school estate and equality of curricular choice for all pupils irrespective of which school they attend," he said.

"Hitherto, it was envisaged that the latter would be guaranteed through collaboration within Learning Communities established for the purpose, but the recent proposals of CMS render this more problematic within a segregated education system and divided community still going through a transitional process sometimes put under strain by the policies of parties who have not bought into the need to build consensus," he added.

"The resulting dysfunction has been all too apparent in recent times. In addition, there are issue relating to the future of teacher education in Northern Ireland, as well as the need to address under-achievement and inclusion and the development of a skilled workforce which may serve to attract investment," he continued.

"It is acknowledged that under the governance of the Ulster Unionist party, education in Northern Ireland was a success story.

Building on its past successes, the Ulster Unionist party is not afraid to consider radical change aimed at meeting the present and future needs of the whole school population however this cannot be rushed and needs to be based on sound planning, assured provision in a climate of economic difficulty and informed scholarship. These are sadly lacking in the policies and practices of the current Minister," concluded Mr Wright.