Clarity call over Ruane's decisions
EDUCATION Minister Caitriona Ruane must show much greater transparency if schools whose construction projects have been frozen are to have faith in her decisions, it has been claimed.
The issue has been raised after apparent double standards were revealed in the treatment of a state primary school and an Irish language school, both of which were burned down last summer.
Last month, the Department of Education froze advanced construction plans for Whitehouse Primary School in Newtownabbey, while Minister Caitriona Ruane cut the sod on March 9 for construction of a new Irish language school, Bunscoil Bheanna Boirche, in her South Down constituency.
The minister argued that the construction freeze has been forced on her by budgetary cutbacks and that the Irish language school was exempt because its funds were released before a spending review began.
Whitehouse PS, which is currently operating out of cramped spare space in a nearby high school, last week called on Minister Ruane to publish the criteria used to select its rebuild for postponement.
SDLP education spokesman Dominic Bradley said many schools were pressing for the same answers from Minister Ruane.
"All schools who are awaiting news on their capital build projects will be interested to know the criteria on which these projects will be adjudicated," he said.
"To date the minister has only given very generalised information. There is a need for much greater transparency if schools are to have faith in this process."
The News Letter asked the minister to detail the selection criteria she used to select projects for postponement, how schools were selected and a timeline of when they were selected.
The minister replied that it was critical that such building work is "supportive of the policy framework and adheres to the Department's statutory duties in relation to equality and targeting on the basis of objective need".
She added: "At the heart of this is Every School a Good School, Revised Curriculum, Sustainable Schools, the Irish Medium Review and the Entitlement Framework.
"This is why I have commissioned a review of all capital projects to inform a more strategic approach to capital investment decisions and management of the schools estate. It will ensure that we put the right size and type of school in the right location to meet the needs of children and young people."
Whitehouse principal David McConkey said Minister Ruane's response "raises concerns".
"Our school governors have also asked the minister the same questions about which criteria are being used to determine which capital projects will proceed," he said.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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