:: press release ::

Tuesday July 08, 2008

INVEST IN OUR PRIMARY SCHOOLS 

East Antrim MLA Alastair Ross has told the Northern Ireland Assembly that we must invest in our young people during a debate on primary school funding.  
 

Speaking this afternoon Mr Ross said,  
 

“As a member of the Employment and Learning Committee I am well aware of how many young adults in Northern Ireland lack the basic numeracy and literacy skills they require to get on in life and get a job. 
 

These people did not just stop being able to read and write when they turn 16, as for these people they could never read or write, and this is a direct result of their educational experience when they were in their earliest years of life. In fact, some 20% of children in Northern Ireland leave school without the appropriate level of numeracy and literacy skills. 
 

Evidence clearly shows that in Northern Ireland, the gulf between the money that Primary Schools receive in comparison to Secondary Schools is much greater than is the case in England and Wales.  
 

There is also evidence that Northern Ireland is lagging at the bottom of the OECD table in terms of ratio between the money that government invest in primary compared to secondary education. Indeed even the Minister back in July of last year conceded that the ‘funding differential currently between primary and secondary is too great.’ 
 

We as an Assembly and as a society must recognise that we need to invest in our young people as early years education is so important in a child’s development and can make such an impact on their futures.  
 

I have heard many politicians claim that a child’s future should not be determined at 11 years old. The unfortunate thing is that for many children it is determined much earlier than that. If a child does not receive a solid start in life through a good education then they are less likely to succeed academically. The Minister should focus her resources at primary schools rather than on promoting any narrow party political objectives.”