Former UCU-NF candidate for East Londonderry Leslie McAuley, now with the Tories had some interesting remarks on Peter Robinson’s TEDx presentation yesterday..
“Integrated schools, which are actually out there providing shared education, are consistently being denied the funds and new buildings they need to satisfy demand from parents. The sector is not being given a sufficient voice in the bodies which run education. Neither integrated schools not grammars will have significant influence in the single Education and Skills Authority. Most disturbing of all, there is no apparent progress on a robust shared future document, with proper targets and incentives for tackling division in education.”
“Does the First Minister actually support sharing in schools in a meaningful way, or is ‘ending apartheid’ just shorthand for a Protestant politician attacking the Catholic sector? If Peter Robinson’s is genuine then we need to see progress on a shared future, action to restrain the education minister’s attacks on the integrated sector and grammars and some real backing for the parents who are demanding shared education, but being held back by the executive. Otherwise the First Minister’s words are hollow, insincere rhetoric.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty
