Alliance Councillor Kate Nicholl has warned Northern Ireland is falling further and further behind the rest of the UK when it comes to developing relationship and sex education in schools. The Belfast City Councillor – who drafted the Alliance Party’s policy on the issue – made the comments as steps forward on the issue were […]
Alliance Integrated Education spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA has said she is saddened after the first Catholic school in Northern Ireland to try and change to integrated status was not allowed to. Parents of pupils at Clintyclay Primary School close to Dungannon voted to change to integrated status in 2014, however, it was rejected at the […]
Alliance Councillor Karen Douglas has welcomed a recommendation that Ward Park is not the right location to base the planned new Bangor Central Integrated Primary School. Speaking after the latest Ards and North Down meeting, Cllr Douglas said that while this scheme was not the best fit, it is essential the Council continues to advocate […]
Alliance Education spokesperson Chris Lyttle MLA has said educational progression should not be based on a one-off test at ages 10 and 11, after proposals for a common transfer test were agreed. The Post-Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC) and Association of Quality Education (AQE) have agreed the proposals, which will now be subject to a consultation. […]
Alliance Strangford MLA Kellie Armstrong has said it is vital the voices of families and experts are heard on the future of special educational needs provision. Ms Armstrong was speaking after hosting a joint meeting of the All-Party Groups on Learning Disability and Disability, and Children and Young People in the Long Gallery at Stormont […]
Alliance Integrated Education spokesperson Kellie Armstrong MLA has called for clarification on what is being done to address the shortfall in school places available to families who wish their children to have an integrated education. Ms Armstrong was speaking after a survey commissioned by the Integrated Education Fund showed over 67 per cent of parents […]
Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle has hosted a celebration event for a charity supporting parental participation in education. Parentkind, the new name for PTA UK, looks to champion the role of parents in education and school life to education interest groups and policy makers. The Alliance Education spokesperson said it played an important part in putting […]
The Alliance Party has continued its efforts to ensure all families affected by the current post primary crisis receive a positive outcome. Councillor Karen Douglas raised the issue as an urgent matter at the recent Ards and North Down Council meeting, where her calls for the Council to write to the Permanent Secretary on the […]
Alliance Deputy Leader Stephen Farry MLA has welcomed a major announcement from the Department of Education that will see additional places granted to both Bangor Academy and Strangford Integrated College. The announcement follows meetings the Alliance Party had with the department in the wake of the post primary crisis situation. Stephen Farry said: “I welcome […]
North Down Alliance MLA, Stephen Farry, has contacted the Department of Education and Education Authority to request urgent action to address the unprecedented crisis in the provision of post-primary school places in the Bangor area affecting over 40 families. He has been contacted by around 20 parents over the past weekend expressing their frustrations and […]