Public must have their say on education reform: Parsley

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 13th Jun 2005

North Down Alliance Councillor Ian Parsley has said that the government must listen to the public on reform of the post-primary education system.

Speaking after attending a seminar with the group Concerned Parents for Education, the Young Alliance Chairman stated: "The Department of Education must send copies of the Costello report to every household in Northern Ireland. It is quite outrageous to deny the public -- and parents and teachers in particular -- their say on the reform of post-primary education.

"The Costello report has wide-ranging implications not just on parents of children approaching eleven. It affects primary-school teachers, for example, who will have the additional work of administering pupil profiles. And it affects the people of Northern Ireland generally -- the investment required to carry out the reforms has not yet been sourced, it can only come from regional rate hikes or cutbacks on other public services, neither of which we can afford.

"With funding cutbacks in education going on across the board currently, we need a proper public debate on post-primary education to determine what is best for children, teachers and the public in general. But the perception is that the Department is pursuing reform by the back door. The Minister must prove this is an open process by sending out the Costello Report for public consultation immediately."

ENDS