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Introduction:
Political Compassion?
Derek Poole
Silly
Games with Flags
Alwyn Thomson
From
the Director
David Porter
Church
and Society
Lesley Carroll
Education
Mike Wardlow
Social
Development
Doug Garrett
Environment
Tom Clarke
Wilson
on Suffering
Alan Wilson
Finance
and Personnel
Stephen Roper
Enterprise,
Trade and Investment
Lawson McDonald
Faith
and Practice - Esmond Birnie
Megan Halteman
Higher
and Further Education
John Gillespie
Health
and Social Services
Brian Coulter
Agriculture
Jack Patterson
Culture,
Arts and Leisure
David Boyd
The
Essential IVP Reference Collection
Embodying
Forgiveness
ECONI Conference
Not
of This World?
New Book
CREATORS
NOT CONSUMERS
There are currently 350,000 young people in the school system in N. Ireland. They are housed in 1325 schools. There are 15,700 at nursery or funded pre-school, 175,000 at primary schools, 62,000 at grammar schools, 93,000 at secondary schools and a balance at a variety of other schools including special schools. In broad terms, we divide our children a number of ways:
- Religion 99% of those attending Catholic schools are Catholic and 80% of those attending Controlled schools are Protestant
- Gender - 1 child in 5 is educated in a single sex school
- Ability - 1 child in 6 attends a grammar school
- Other - Irish language (1% of the school population), Integrated (4% of school population) schools.
When Martin McGuinness assumed responsibility for Education, much of the public debate centred around his background and personal history. In all the furore that ensued many people might have missed the fact that he began his tenure in office by highlighting what he took to be his four guiding principles of ‘equality, choice, accessibility and excellence’. I think that in setting down those key principles he vocalised the priorities of many educationalists. Shortly afterwards, in referring to the Department of Education’s strategic plan for the next 5 years, the Minister wrote: ‘All too often governments make commitments about what they will put into public services: money, manpower and policies – and not what the public will get in return. This is what really matters.’ I doubt that anyone could disagree. At present the strategic aim of the Department of Education is: ‘To ensure that the Education Service addresses the needs of the Northern Ireland community and to lead and support it in doing so.’ To further this end the nine main supporting objectives are:
- targeting under-achievement and increasing employability
- supporting teaching and learning
- targeting the needs of individuals
- promoting equity and a culture of inclusion
- improving the school estate
- supporting education partners
- promoting improvement and assuring quality in teaching and learning
- supporting the changing needs of today’s youth
- promoting accountability
Devolution has placed local Ministers in a position of local accountability for the first time in several decades. The Education Committee, comprising local MLAs of all persuasions, regularly debates ‘bread and butter issues’ and this is only right. The Department of Education, now slimmed down having lost elements to Further and Higher Education and Culture, Arts and Leisure, has been carrying out wide ranging consultation on the new strategic plan. Again this recognises a truly devolved situation and reflects true democratic principles. The Civic Forum have set up an Education Advisory Group and local councils regularly deliberate on the state of schools in their delegated area of responsibility. Action Not Words
Since assuming responsibility for the Department of Education, Martin McGuinness has taken major decisions on a new General Teaching Council, the future viability of a number of rural schools, pupil numbers for new Irish Medium and Integrated primary schools and the establishment of a Council for Irish Medium schools. Some of his decisions have been unpopular. Indeed at the time of writing this piece, a debate is still continuing about the Minister’s decision to ban school performance tables. In addition the newly constituted Department has initiated a thorough consultation on Private Finance Initiative as an option for school capital development. In anyone’s opinion there have been significant developments in the education landscape since devolution. Questions for the Future?
Might I point up several key questions which I believe we Christians need to address in the near future? Parental Choice
If I might use Integrated Education by way of example, there are 45 Integrated schools catering for 14,000 pupils or 4% of the student population. Last year 1150 pupils were turned away, roughly 1 applicant in 3. There is no alternative equivalent choice available for those children who are forced into a segregated school against their declared wishes. In concrete terms, we need to address the issue of ‘equality, choice, accessibility’ of provision to use the Minister’s own words. While we might accept that a pluralist approach to education would inevitably result in a pluralist provision, have we given thought to the implications of this strategy? There is a financial cost involved. Should cost have a veto on choice? Promoting Tolerance
In a recently published report entitled Towards a Culture of Tolerance: Integrating Education it was recorded: ‘It is a seminal purpose of the NI Education Service to promote a culture of tolerance and reconciliation and for schools to do so in keeping with the particular ethos and circumstances within which they operate. These different approaches should be valued and all schools encouraged to provide further opportunities to promote a culture of tolerance.’ However worthy, should this aspiration not be translated into measurable objectives for all schools? How can we deliver on this imperative? Poor and Under Achievement
Although down in real terms since 1994/5, currently 4.6% school children leave without GCSEs - twice as many boys as girls leave without qualifications. After leaving school, 4% of pupils remain unemployed. Can we be comfortable with these statistics? Selection and 11+
In this vexed subject we are now debating what may be the singularly most important issue to face the sector in 3 decades. Whatever our views on grammar schools, we need to reflect as Christians on what is best for our children. Can ‘de-selection’ and segregation be justified on biblical criteria? Should we not focus on what outcomes we want first and then design a system that delivers these afterwards? RE Provision
At present we have a confessional syllabus agreed by the four main churches. In an increasingly pluralist society, how do we deal with the teaching of other Faiths, given that 12% of the school-going population register as neither Protestant nor Catholic but ‘Other’? There is an increasing demand for church schools in GB and N. America - where do we see the churches main role in education in N. Ireland? Curriculum Review
For the first time substantive consultation with the student body has taken place and their views will be reflected in the new proposals. Can any curriculum review neglect looking at how we best develop our young people both as unique individuals with emotional, physical, spiritual and educational needs as well as prospective employees in a rapidly changing work environment? Conclusion
JF Kennedy once said, “The best way to predict the future is to invent it”. As Christians we do not have a choice in being history makers; it is, in my view, our obligation. If we are to be creators and not simply consumers of the education system we must become aware and involved. Many Christians have become actively involved as school governors and this is an excellent contribution. Christian teachers offer a solid and sympathetic context in which children can be nurtured and this is to be applauded. In this context, to criticise education policy from the comfort of the arm-chair is not a viable alternative. In similar terms, I believe that there is no excuse for complacency. If devolution is about anything, it should be about personal responsibility and accountability leading to a realistic engagement with concrete issues. This is true incarnational theology. If we truly believe that children are not simply a problem but rather the custodians of solutions, that they are not only our future hope but our present gift, then we are to steward that gift appropriately. The focus on what is best for ‘the child’ must remain central to the aims of the education service. Children are born with many precious commodities, which are all too soon lost. Amongst these are the short-lived gifts of innocence and trust. Trust is, in essence, the ability to depend on someone apart from oneself. Innocence is the attitude which allows such trust to develop despite evidence which would attempt to overthrow the very basis for that trust. As adults, are we worthy of that trust? Can we steward that gift? I believe we must, with God’s spirit as our dynamic. I close by quoting Tom Sine who in my view puts it better than JFK. ‘Jesus let us into an astonishing secret. God has chosen to change the world through the lowly, the unassuming and the imperceptible….that has always been God’s strategy, changing the world through the conspiracy of the insignificant. It is still God’s policy to work though the embarrassingly insignificant to change his world and to create his future.’ (The Mustard Seed Conspiracy (Word) pages 11/12)
Mike Wardlow is Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education and a member of ECONI’s Steering Group.
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