Letter: Girls inpolitics report unfair

DEAR Sir,

In last week’s edition you carried a short article under the heading ‘I’ve no plans to encourage girls into politics: O’Dowd.’

I felt it would be useful to clarify my position on the matter as I believe your headline does not fairly reflect my position.

In answer to written questions in the Assembly, I outlined the work my Department was doing to encourage girls into male dominated sectors such as construction, engineering and chemistry and indeed into the world of politics.

I outlined the wide range of careers programmes aiming to increase uptake in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) in schools.

I also outlined the opportunities for students to study significant political, social, economic, cultural and religious developments when they reach Key Stage 3 and the more specific opportunity for them to study Government and Politics at Key Stage 5.

The Entitlement Framework, now being embedded in our post-primary schools, has at its heart the principle of equality of access for all young people to a broad, balanced and more economically relevant curriculum with clear progression pathways, regardless of their gender, race, background or religion.

It is through such programmes and curriculum choices that we can encourage girls into non-traditional areas and enable them to fulfil their potential.

I stated that I had no plan to introduce a specific programme to encourage girls into politics in addition to these opportunities.

I am absolutely clear, however, that everyone in society has a role to play in encouraging girls to consider careers in areas where they remain under-represented.

Young people should be able to make choices in life based on their aptitudes and preferences - not on their gender.

The education system is working to widen the horizons of young girls and I would call on wider society, including our politicians, to help do likewise.

Yours, John O’Dowd MLA Minister for Education

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