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CHURCHES URGE POLITICIANS TO FIND BEST WAY FORWARD FOR ALL CHILDREN IN EDUCATIONAL TRANSFER IMPASSE

At a press conference on Wednesday 5th November in Belfast the Education spokespersons of Northern Ireland's four main churches have joined together to encourage politicians to stand back from their established positions in the education transfer debate and create the space necessary so that " the best way forward may be found for all children."

Rev Ian Ellis, Church of Ireland, Rev Trevor Gribben, Presbyterian, Rev Trevor Jamieson, Methodist and Bishop Donal McKeown, Roman Catholic, make their comments from a position of pastoral care while also reflecting the " deep unease" among parents and teachers and the growing "sense of frustration" within the churches and within society that no political agreement over post-primary educational transfer arrangements seems within reach.

"Our primary concern is pastoral, particularly for those immediately affected by the failure to reach agreement around new transfer arrangements to post-primary schools.

" It is also of concern that Year 6 children are increasingly likely to become anxious or distressed as they pick up on adult confusion about the type and number of any tests in the future."

And the churchmen warn of the risk of heading into "an abyss of unregulated arrangements." "It is clear that there are strong yet unreconciled convictions about the best system of education for the future. Each viewpoint seems to cancel out the other and, in the absence of consensus we risk heading to an abyss of unregulated arrangements."

However in their statement there is support for "workable" proposals already suggested that would mean important decisions regarding education would be made at 14 rather than 11.

These proposals, they say, offer "a new way forward" leading to "the disappearance of academic selection at age 11 and the use of criteria to access certain courses and pathways at the age of 14 which could include, amongst others, academic criteria."

While the church spokesmen do not consider these proposals as the "final word" they do feel they are "worthy of detailed consideration" which "may form a basis for ongoing discussions leading to an increasing degree of consensus about the contentious issue of transfer arrangements.

The statement concludes with a plea to politicians from the church spokesmen to find the best way forward for all children. "We ask our politicians and others, to stand back from established positions and to create the space necessary so that, through dialogue between those with different outlooks, the best way forward may be found for all children."

The full text of the statement follows below.

Joint Statement by the Educational spokespersons for the four main Churches

As representatives of the Presbyterian, Church of Ireland, Methodist and Catholic Churches, working in education, we wish to put on public record our concerns about the current impasse in education reform in Northern Ireland. Our primary concern is pastoral, particularly for those immediately affected by the failure to reach agreement around new transfer arrangements to
post-primary schools.

We feel compelled to give voice to a deep unease among teachers and parents of primary school pupils, especially those parents with pupils in year 6. There is a growing sense of frustration within our Churches, and within society as a whole, that no agreement at a political level seems within reach.

It is clear that there are strong yet unreconciled convictions about the best system of education for the future. Each viewpoint seems to cancel out the other and, in the absence of consensus, we risk heading to an abyss of unregulated arrangements. It is also of concern that year 6 children are
increasingly likely to become anxious or distressed as they pick up on adult confusion about the type and number of any tests in the future.

Over the summer a group of educationalists, representing a diverse range of views on transfer, met together and produced tentative proposals which in our view seem to suggest a workable approach. The group shared ideas, displaying vision and openness to a new way forward, which would lead to the disappearance of academic selection at age 11 and the use of criteria to access certain courses and pathways at the age of 14 which could include, amongst others, academic criteria. That group¹s work may not be the final word but we feel that it is worthy of detailed consideration and may form a basis for ongoing discussions leading to an increasing degree of consensus about the contentious issue of transfer arrangements.

We ask our politicians, and others, to stand back from established positions and to create the space necessary so that, through dialogue between those with different outlooks, the best way forward may be found for all children.

Statement issued by:

Revd Ian W. Ellis (Secretary to the Church of Ireland Board of Education NI), Revd Trevor D. Gribben (Education Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland), Revd J. Trevor Jamieson (Northern Convenor of the Methodist Church in Ireland Board of Education), Bishop Donal McKeown (Chairman of the NI Commission for Catholic Education)

ends
ISSUED BY STEPHEN LYNAS, PRESBYTERIAN INFORMATION SERVICE