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MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE SEVENTY FIFTH MEETING OF THE EDUCATION COMMITTEE IN ROOM 135 PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS ON

Thursday 06 DECEMBER 2001

Present:
Mr D Kennedy (Chairman)
Mr S Wilson (Deputy Chairman)
Mr O Gibson
Ms P Lewsley
Mr G McHugh
Mr K Robinson

Apologies:
Mrs E Bell
Mr T Gallagher
Mr T Hamilton

In Attendance:
Mrs C Darrah
Mrs V Artt
Miss P Bradley


The Committee met at 10.40. a.m. in private session.

1. Minutes of the Meeting of 29 November 2001

The minutes of the meeting of 29 November were agreed.

2. Matters Arising

(i) Copies of the Chairman's letter to Mr Burns, Chairman of the Review Body on Post-Primary Education, requesting further information on the recommendations and findings of the Review Body Report had been circulated for information. The response would be circulated in due course to assist the Committee in its consideration of the Report.

(ii) Copies of the Chairman's letter to the Chairperson of the Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure welcoming the event for the French Ministry of Culture and the Committee's response to the Committee of the Centre regarding the Northern Ireland Executive's Response to the Disability Rights Task Force were noted.

(iii) The Minister of Education's response to the Committee's letter on the September Monitoring Round had been circulated. The Committee agreed that the situation should be monitored.


3. Chairman's Business

(i) The Chairman informed the Committee that the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety had issued a Consultation Paper on Proposals for a Protection of Children and Vulnerable Adults Bill. The Committee agreed to consider the matter in detail once information requested from the Department of Education on the subject was available.

(ii) The Chairman advised the Committee that he had received correspondence from the National Association of Head Teachers regarding the Threshold Assessment Scheme and the maintenance of pay differentials for Principals and Vice-Principals. Clarification of the current position had been requested from the Minister of Education and the Committee agreed to consider the matter when the information was available.

(iii) The Chairman advised the Committee that he had been invited, in his capacity as Chairman, to launch a video on marriage by CARE. The video was part of an education resource package for Post-Primary schools to assist in the teaching of Relationship and Sexuality education.

(iv) Members agreed that a number of papers commissioned by the Committee from the Assembly Research Directorate should be published on the Intranet.

(v) The Chairman advised the Committee that the final report by the CCEA on the investigation into errors in the 2001 GCSE Home Economics results would be available shortly. The Committee agreed that representatives of CCEA should be invited to attend a Committee meeting to discuss the findings of the Report.

(vi) The Chairman advised the Committee that the Secondary Heads Association had requested meetings with members to discuss the Report of the Review Body on Post-Primary Education. Members agreed that appropriate arrangements should be made.


4. Consideration of the Draft Committee Report on the Proposals for a Common Funding Formula

(i) Due to circumstances the Committee had agreed at the meeting on 4 December to postpone further consideration of the Draft Committee Report on the Proposals for a Common Funding Formula until 11 December.

(ii) The Committee discussed and agreed the wording of a Motion to be tabled with the Business Committee for a debate in the Assembly on the Committee Report on the Proposals for a Common Funding Formula. The Committee also agreed their preferred date for the debate.


5. Date and time of next meeting

The next meeting of the Committee was scheduled for Tuesday 11 December at 12.30 p.m. in Room 144, Parliament Buildings to consider the draft Report on the Proposals for a Common Funding Formula. A meeting of the Committee would also be held on Thursday 13 December at 10.15 a.m. in the Board Room, BT Tower, Belfast.

6. Briefing by Departmental Officials on the Results of the Review of School Information and Prospectuses - Public Session

The Chairman welcomed Departmental officials, Mrs Christine Jendoubi and Mr David Mann, to the meeting. The officials presented the results of the consultation exercise on the Review of School Information and Prospectuses. This was followed by a short question and answer session. The main issues covered included:

The Chairman thanked the officials for attending the Committee and for a useful discussion and they left the meeting.

The Committee briefly discussed the issues for inclusion in a response to the Department on the Review of School Information and Prospectuses. To assist consideration and discussion of the issues, the Committee agreed that the Clerk should prepare a compilation of the results of the consultation exercise.

7. Any Other Businees

Mr Oliver Gibson tendered his apologies for the meeting on Tuesday 4 December explaining that he was detained in traffic.

The meeting was adjourned at 11.30 a.m.


DANNY KENNEDY
Committee Chairman

December 2001

4 December 2001 / Menu / 11 December 2001