Republican News · Thursday 22 August 2002

Need to target low achievers

Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson, Party Chairperson and Foyle Assembly member Mitchel McLaughlin welcomed Tuesday's GSCE results but he also stressed the need to target resources to improving the situation of young people leaving school as 'low achievers'.

"Today's GCSE results show once again the amazing hard work and dedication of our pupils and teachers throughout the Six Counties," he said. "For most of our young people, the stressful two years that mark the end of compulsory education have been rewarded by excellent grades. However, for some, the results have been disappointing.

"Dubious allegations of easier exams and declining standards from the usual quarters provide again a disheartening backdrop to today's celebrations, and divert many people's attention from the real issues.

"The fact that results here are better than in Britain suggests that our teachers have not yet reached the levels of demoralisation of their English colleagues. Sinn Féin wishes to put it on record that our teaching force works extremely hard, often under difficult circumstances, in a chronically under-funded sector, with a school population where one child in five lives in deep poverty and where many children have suffered from trauma due to the conflict.

"Any talk of 'improving performance' and 'raising standards' may unfortunately sound like a mean 'could do better' comment on the school report of the pupil who scored A* in spite of personal difficulties.

"Unfortunately, a significant number of young people leave school with little or no formal qualification. We need to concentrate our energies on this section of our young people who, for whatever reason - poverty, despair, alienation, disability - did not succeed or did not proceed with education, and may face greater disadvantage in life and in the world of work as a result.

"The current selective system, and a curriculum that has been too narrow have hindered the work of our schools in tackling the problem of educational under-achievement and alienation from learning.

"Regarding the continuing gap between boys and girls, evidence points to the key importance of Early Years intervention, both to give boys a better start and to reduce inequalities caused by poverty.

"Sinn Féin will continue to press for an end to selection, a broader and more balanced curriculum, increased resources targeted at child poverty and a continued increase in the investment into Early Years education."