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Committee for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment
Cllr Edwin Poots
Chairperson
Committee of the Centre
Room 350
Parliament Buildings
Stormont
BELFAST
BT4 3XX 11th June 2001
Committee of the Centre's Inquiry into the appointment of a Commissioner for
Children for Northern Ireland.
Thank you for the letter of Tuesday 5 June 2001 from Mr Hugh Farren, Committee
Clerk, offering the Committee for Higher and Further Education, Training and
Employment the opportunity to comment on the agreed recommendations of the Committee
of the Centre before the final report is printed. Unfortunately with the exceptionally
tight deadline of Monday 11 June 2001 and the Committee not meeting due to the
elections, I am unable at this point to give you the agreed views of the Committee.
However, the comments below have been submitted by individual members and are
within the remit of the Committee for Higher and Further Education, Training
and Employment. These initial comments will be further debated at our next Committee
meeting on Thursday 14 June 2001.
- Concern has been expressed on the sweeping nature of the powers given to
the Commissioner for Children for Northern Ireland in respect of 16 to 18 year
olds. It is felt that the influence of the Commissioner may change the balance
and relationships between parents, colleges and children to the detriment of
society and the education process. Secondly, how will the Commissioner take
on board the wide range of parental views, backgrounds, religions, cultures
etc when setting standards for this group? Is your Committee recommending that
the Commissioner will have the right to intervene with FE Colleges without the
parents' knowledge or consent?
- It is disappointing that no reference is made to the Commissioner's role
and influence on the development of skills including social, communication,
literacy and numeracy etc. these are well documented as a major problem in a
significant proportion of our children. During the Committee's current Inquiry
into Education and Training for Industry this was further emphasised by many
witnesses. The under-development of this highly important group of skills is
leaving many children disadvantaged and excluded from areas of our society and
the economy.
- Your recommendations might suggest that in certain cases the Commissioner
for Children for Northern Ireland has a remit from birth to age 21. This is
a very wide range and we would like to be reassured on three important aspects,
which impinge on the Committee's remit.
Who precisely are you recommending should set the standards?
Will there be different age bands?
Will the standards be different for the different age bands within the band
0 to 21?
- Recommendation 28 states that "the Commissioner should take appropriate
account of parents' or other guardians' views." Concern has been raised
that taking account of parents' or guardians' views on its own is not sufficient
and that parents' rights should also be taken account of and safe guarded. As
it stands at present, the two parts of this recommendation are somewhat contrary.
- It is also the view that the Commissioner for Children for Northern Ireland
should have a significant role in the following:
balance between part-time work and study is another important area;
employee/employer relationships; and
training schemes.
- Recommendation 16, it is suggested that a proper screening process will be
required.
- It is suggested that recommendation 26 should be further developed to make
specific reference to the opportunity of Committees to input into the forward
plans of the Commissioner with the Committee of the Centre taking the co-ordinating
and lead role.
- Concern has been expressed to the exact size of this body to deliver on the
thirty-five recommendations in your report. It would have been beneficial if
an annual budget estimate had been included under recommendation 35.
Again may I express my concern on the extremely short and unrealistic deadline
for the Committee for Higher and Further Education, Training and Employment to
properly consider, debate and agree a Committee response.
Yours sincerely
Esmond Birnie
Dr Esmond Birnie, MLA
Chairman
Meeting minutes dating 14th June 2001
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