Ruane planning to scrap the border
EDUCATION Minister Caitriona Ruane has revealed she intends to scrap a law giving Northern Ireland children priority over those from the Republic when enrolling in Northern Ireland's schools.
Ms Ruane has advised school principals by letter and on the Department of Education website, that the legislation may be in breach of EU equality rules and parents' right to choice.
"It would be my intention to review the current legislation, with a view to changing it," she said.
"In doing so it is also my intention to work closely with my counterpart in the South."
The move comes after the minister recently told the News Letter she would pursue a policy of opening up the border to allow the Republic's schoolchildren in.
Assembly Education Committee chairman Sammy Wilson was astounded by the move and noted "all hell will break loose" if and when a child from the South gets a place in a local school ahead of a child from the Province.
He said the minister was "not fit for the job" because she was "dabbling in this politicisation of our education system, when there are far more pressing matters like academic selection, rationalisation of schools, the classroom assistants' strike and more to get on with".
He said: "How can you say it will be ensuring equality to give foreign youngsters the same chance of a place at a school in another country, as the children from that country?
"Especially as the youngsters from a foreign country will not pay for that place (in the form of taxes), nor bring revenue from their country to pay for it, but will be using up the resources of, in this case, Northern Ireland.
"This is truly crazy stuff, from a minister who just this week was pleading with the Executive for more funds for an education system which is cash-strapped."
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Thursday 09 February 2012
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