The outgoing Education Minister’s failure to act on post-primary transfer is unacceptable, Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said. Over 23,000 children received news this past weekend regarding their post primary school placement, which followed a number of grammar schools announcing they would not be using transfer test for admissions after they were cancelled […]
Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said a new report into educational underachievement shows just how much the Education Minister has failed to tackle the issue. The Chair of the Assembly’s Education Committee was speaking as Peter Weir released ‘A Fair Start’. Among its recommendations, it states all children should go to pre-school for […]
East Belfast Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has welcomed news Harding Memorial Primary School is the latest school to move towards integrated status. An overwhelming 87 percent of parents voted in favour of the move in June 2019, with the Education Minister ratifying the proposal. Chris Lyttle MLA said: “It’s fantastic to see a local school […]
Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has welcomed political support for the repeal of the exception of teachers from the Fair Employment and Treatment Order. Mr Lyttle opened a consultation process on the issue last month and said it was “welcome news” to know other parties now support reform on this issue. He added: “The Alliance Party […]
Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has launched a consultation into a proposed private member’s Bill to tackle the exclusion of teaching from fair employment legislation. The Fair Employment and Treatment (NI) Order 1998 allows discrimination on the grounds of religious belief in the recruitment of teachers. The East Belfast MLA said he believed there was increasing […]
Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has welcomed an announcement P4-P7 pupils will return to class from March 22. All other pupils in post-primary schools are scheduled to return on April 12 subject to review by the end of the month due to public health guidance. Pupils in P1-P3, as well as nursery and pre-school […]
South Belfast needs to see a new integrated post-primary school, Alliance MLA Paula Bradshaw has said. The South Belfast MLA was speaking as she brought an Assembly debate on post-primary education provision in the constituency. She said while the entire education system was complex, those complexities were exacerbated in South Belfast, with a failure to […]
A major report which found an ongoing failure to address issues with special educational needs (SEN) provision by the Department of Education and Education Authority (EA) is yet more evidence of the need for a review of the sector, Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said. The report, by the Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee, […]
Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said the impact of disrupted learning for pupils must be mitigated, after the Education Minister confirmed schools here will calculate GCSE, AS and A-Level grades for students. Peter Weir told the Assembly exams body CCEA would then review the grades. It marks a difference from the 2020 method of […]
More must be done to support teachers, parents and pupils in remote learning, Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said, after it was announced most pupils would not return to schools until March 8 at the earliest. First Minister Arlene Foster made the announcement after a recommendation from Education Minister Peter Weir. Special schools […]