Alliance Leader demands solution to academic selection crisis

2.54.42pm GMT Mon 20th Nov 2006

Alliance Leader, David Ford

Alliance Leader, David Ford has demanded action on the real education crisis which will soon hit Northern Ireland because the sectarian parties cannot resolve the academic selection issue. He stated that the tribal parties are in a sectarian gridlock which will create a vacuum in the local education system and will harm local children.

He stated that Alliance has spoken to Liberal Democrat MPs and secured a guarantee that they will place an amendment to tomorrow's Bill which will force the incoming Executive to put in place procedures for dealing with school transfer.

David Ford said: "Alliance is deeply concerned by the danger of total chaos in our education system. At our suggestion, the Liberal Democrats have put down an amendment which would require the Executive to create a uniform system for transfers. The alternative is total disarray when the sectarian parties cannot agree what to do about selection and the voting system reinforces deadlock.

"The 11 plus has gone, but there is nothing in its place. A postcode lottery for grammar school places is totally unacceptable and that is what we will get if the sectarian parties play out their age-old political games. A postcode lottery will stop children from rural areas going to grammar schools. This would be discriminatory and we will do all in our power to stop it.

"We want to see a fair system which brings stability and clarity to local education, and one which stops ten year-olds facing a test which will determine the course of their whole life.

"The Executive will have to be forced to take this seriously and stop playing games with our children's future."

ENDS