:: press release ::

HAS UUP POSITION ON ACADEMIC SELECTION CHANGED? 

Democratic Unionist MLA Alastair Ross has called on the Ulster Unionist Party to clarify their stance on academic selection following the news yesterday that they could potentially be merging with the Conservatives.  

Speaking from his East Antrim constituency base this afternoon Mr Ross said,  

“Since devolution was restored in Northern Ireland one of the biggest issues amongst the public has been over education policy, and specifically academic selection. Parents are all to aware that under the previous regime of devolution set up by the UUP, Sinn Fein Education Minister Martin McGuinness was able to unilaterally scrap the eleven plus without any replacement in mind, and against the wishes of the Assembly, the Education Committee and the vast majority of parents, pupils and teachers in the Province.  

At St Andrews it was our Party who were able to safeguard academic selection in legislation and put an end to Belfast Agreement-style government by ensuring that all Ministers were fully accountable to the Assembly and Executive body.  

Indeed one of the benefits of devolution is that we can decide on our own future and unpopular legislation over such issues cannot be imposed upon us from direct rule Ministers at Westminster who often disregard public opinion in the Province.  

Yesterdays announcement from the leaders of the Conservatives and UUP was therefore interesting as there are a number of policy positions held by the Conservative Party that would be deeply unpopular in Northern Ireland. One such issue would clearly be over education.  

Last year David Cameron publicly stated his opposition to grammar schools, and said that his Party do not support the principle of academic selection. My question for the UUP is therefore if the Ulster Unionists and Conservatives are to merge, as reports suggested yesterday, then would the UUP fall in to line with their Conservative Party bosses and support the comprehensive model of education that has so spectacularly failed in England?”