Date 15 December 2006	PN 14/06

SUB-GROUP HEARS EVIDENCE FROM KEY STAKEHOLDERS

At its meeting on Friday 15th December 2006, the Programme for Government Committee’s sub-group on Schools Admission Policy took evidence from 15 different organisations including unions, pro academic and non academic selection groups, the Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment and various sectoral interest groups.

The sub-group is currently engaged in examining the pupil profile and the schools admission policy being developed by the Department of Education. The evidence sessions, which took place in the Senate Chamber at Parliament Buildings, will allow the members of the sub-group to take the opinions of key stakeholders on an issue that has been the focus of considerable public debate.

A wide range of stakeholders and interested parties have also been invited to provide written evidence.

The sub-group plans to meet again on Friday 22nd December to discuss the issues in detail and will submit a report to the Programme for Government Committee by 10 January 2007.

Note to Editors

The following organisations appeared before the sub-group on Friday 15th December.

Association of Teachers and Lecturers represented by Mark Langhammer

Irish National Teachers Organisation represented by Brendan Harron

National Association of Schoolmasters and Union of Women Teachers represented by Seamus Searson

Ulster Teachers Union represented by Avril Hall Callaghan

Governing Bodies Association Finbarr McCallion

Association for Quality Education (comprises Grammar Principals’ Association, Concerned Parents for Education and Confederation of Grammar Schools’ Former Pupils’ Associations) Sir Kenneth Bloomfield, Billy Young, Marcas Patterson

Association of Head teachers in Secondary Schools Uel McCrea

Parental representative George Buckley

Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Jim Clarke

The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment represented by Gavin Boyd, Robert Shilliday, Charlie Sproule and Richard Hanna

The Transferor Representative Council represented by Revd Dr Lee Glenny, Revd Robert Herron and Revd Ian Ellis,

The Department of Education Northern Ireland represented by Dorothy Angus, Irene Murphy and John Leonard

The Council for Integrated Education represented by Michael Wardlow

Comhairle na Gaelscolaiochta was unable to attend but will submit written evidence to the sub-group.

The members of the sub-group are –
Jeffrey Donaldson MP
Sammy Wilson MP
Barry McElduff
Caitríona Ruane
Dominic Bradley
David McNarry

The sub-group is chaired by Ms Sue Ramsey

Further information can be obtained from
The Information Office,
Room B2,
Parliament Buildings
Belfast
028 90 521137