Beattie under pressure to back DUP in vetoing Integrated Education Bill

The Ulster Unionist Party is coming under sustained pressure to back a petition of concern (POC) that would veto an Integrated Education Bill that the main unionist parties believe will discriminate against Controlled and Maintained schools.
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As Assembly members move to a final vote on the legislation later today UUP leader Doug Beattie has been challenged by the DUP to back their POC and sink the bill.

DUP education spokesperson Diane Dodds said: “This is a real test of Doug Beattie’s leadership.”

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A UUP spokesperson said the party would vote against the bill but declined to comment on whether or not they would back the POC – a parliamentary mechanism that allows parties to veto any bill they regard as not having cross-community support.

Critics of the bill say it will prioritise integrated education over the Controlled and Maintained sectorsCritics of the bill say it will prioritise integrated education over the Controlled and Maintained sectors
Critics of the bill say it will prioritise integrated education over the Controlled and Maintained sectors

The DUP is now two votes short of the required 30 MLAs to trigger the POC and bring down the bill.

One of those UUP MLAs whom the DUP had hoped would support their POC, Rosemary Barton, said she could not comment on the issue as “we are under the party whip and I am a member of the Ulster Unionist Party and I abide by its rules”.

Independent Unionist MLA Claire Sugden confirmed she will not sign the DUP’s POC at this stage.

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“In principle I support integrated education but I know there are widespread concerns about the details of this bill, which I don’t think we can ignore. I’ll likely record abstention to recognise this. I haven’t been asked to sign a petition, but it’s unlikely I would sign it anyway.”

It is understood that two MLAs in the SDLP also have grave misgivings about the legislation proposed by Alliance’s Kellie Armstrong, but all 12 of the nationalist party’s Assembly members are under instruction from leader Colum Eastwood that they must support the bill. The two SDLP MLAs share the same concerns over the legislation as Catholic bishops and the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS).

The Catholic hierarchy and CCMS have expressed concerns that the legislation could create a “two-tier system” that would be weighted in favour of the integrated sector above other schools.

Mrs Dodds last night called on the UUP leader to “stand up for 93% of school pupils” who are not in the integrated sector.

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“The UUP have said they opposed this bill and its outworkings. If that is the case, then they must add their names to the petition of concern. This decision rests with the UUP leader,” she said.

She urged Mr Beattie to “take a brave stand” and help to veto the legislation.

“It is bad law. I want to see children educated together but this bill will penalise Controlled and Maintained schools because they have the wrong sign above the door not because of any failing with inclusion.

“Even Controlled schools with children of all faiths and none, schools with pupils from 20 different language backgrounds, will be consigned to old dilapidated classrooms just because they are not in the ‘integrated’ sector.

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“Those MLAs who fail to sign the POC will be sending a clear message that they do not value the overwhelming majority of schools, teachers, pupils and parents in Northern Ireland. The stakes could not be higher. Claire Sugden and UUP MLAs have an opportunity to do the right thing.

“I urge them to put the interests of our pupils and schools first and stop this bad legislation becoming law,” Mrs Dodds said.

Ms Armstrong has denied her bill will prioritise integrated education over Controlled and Maintained schools. Her proposed law would not “skew the pitch” in terms of parents choosing schools for their children.

She added that other parties had been consulted and changes were made to the legislation.

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Sinn Fein’s Pat Sheehan said his party would back the legislation because it put integrated education on an “equal footing” with the other school sectors.

But rival nationalist party, Aontu, which was founded by a Sinn Fein TD who resigned from that party over its support for abortion, has come out against the bill.

Gemma Brolly, Aontu’s education spokesperson, said the legislation “promotes integrated education above all others”.

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