13/01/2009
Ruane Targets Sustainable Schools
As Northern Ireland's Education Minister was yesterday opening an Irish medium nursery school - praising such facilities' contribution to sustaining and encouraging Irish language and cultural development - Caitríona Ruane also moved to publish her long-awaited final draft of a plan to ensure all rural NI schools remain viable and effective.
At the same time as the Minister was delivered her upbeat message as she officially opened the new Irish medium facility, Naiscoil ne Deirge in Castlederg, her overall plan for rural schools was being revealed at Stormont, just ahead of a planned Assembly debate on how best to keep rural schools open.
In what observers described as "an attempt to pre-empt discussion" Ms Ruane's officials revealed the document's final draft on Monday, just hours before an Assembly motion was set to call for rural school closures to be halted until after a "Sustainable Schools" policy was agreed and implemented.
Like an early draft of the policy - published for consultation in July - the new document contained six criteria on which to decide if a school should stay open.
However, while it sets minimum numbers of pupils at primary and secondary schools, both rural and urban - as in the major Bain report of 2006 - the Minister was at pains to point out on BBC Radio Ulster this morning that mere pupil numbers are not the sole criteria on which to judge closure or development.
Ms Ruane said: "These cover the strength of links to the community, educational experience of children, enrolment trends, school leadership and management, accessibility and financial position.
"Schools will be reviewed against these criteria on a case-by-case basis to ensure all relevant facts, including local circumstances, are considered in the best interests of the education of our children and young people."
(BMcC/JM)
At the same time as the Minister was delivered her upbeat message as she officially opened the new Irish medium facility, Naiscoil ne Deirge in Castlederg, her overall plan for rural schools was being revealed at Stormont, just ahead of a planned Assembly debate on how best to keep rural schools open.
In what observers described as "an attempt to pre-empt discussion" Ms Ruane's officials revealed the document's final draft on Monday, just hours before an Assembly motion was set to call for rural school closures to be halted until after a "Sustainable Schools" policy was agreed and implemented.
Like an early draft of the policy - published for consultation in July - the new document contained six criteria on which to decide if a school should stay open.
However, while it sets minimum numbers of pupils at primary and secondary schools, both rural and urban - as in the major Bain report of 2006 - the Minister was at pains to point out on BBC Radio Ulster this morning that mere pupil numbers are not the sole criteria on which to judge closure or development.
Ms Ruane said: "These cover the strength of links to the community, educational experience of children, enrolment trends, school leadership and management, accessibility and financial position.
"Schools will be reviewed against these criteria on a case-by-case basis to ensure all relevant facts, including local circumstances, are considered in the best interests of the education of our children and young people."
(BMcC/JM)
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Northern Ireland WeatherToday:A sunny but frosty start for many. However cloud increases by midday with a few showers reaching the north coast, these mostly light but spreading inland this afternoon. Chilly. Maximum temperature 8 °C.Tonight:A rather cloudy evening with scattered showers. Becoming drier through the night with some good clear spells developing and a patchy frost away from coasts. Minimum temperature 0 °C.