Countryside Alliance Ireland - love the countryside

Leading rural campaigning organisation, Countryside Alliance Ireland (CAI) has called on the Department of Education to ensure that rural children are not disadvantaged by the new arrangements for post primary education. In its response to the Consultation on Proposals for a draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order CAI has called for special attention to be given to the needs of rural children when devising the selection criteria for secondary education.

Ronan Gorman Chief Executive CAI said; “ This new legislation has major implications for local children and their education. We welcome many of the proposals aimed at ensuring that all pupils must have the opportunity to acquire and develop specific cross-curricular skills and approve of the Departments requirements for schools to provide access to a wider range of courses for older pupils.”

“However, the key for many rural children will be the criteria used to selected pupils for particular schools. Article 28 of the draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order provides for the development of selection criteria, in the future, without providing any details on what this criteria should be or how it should be determined.

Mr Gorman continued “CAI is fundamentally opposed to selection criteria based on primarily on the distance that rural pupils live from particular schools. This would unfairly discriminate against rural pupils who may live considerable distances from any school. We intend to play a leading role in the development of this selection criteria for post primary education to ensure every pupil has equitable access to appropriate education facilities. We have also made the point to the Department of Education that provision will need to be made for a structured transport system or assistance in travel for the rural pupil population.”