Republican News · Thursday 24 January 2002

Sinn Féin welcomes student initiative

Sinn Féin's North Antrim spokesperson, Philip McGuigan, has welcomed the initiative by Queen's University students union to encourage a greater uptake of University education by secondary school students in the North Antrim area.

McGuigan praised the QUB students' union leaders for maintaining "a positive vision, especially for those young people who might otherwise rule out third level education as a career option".

The Sinn Féin councillor said: "The students' union's desire to encourage others to avail of the benefits of third level education is a heartening reflection on our students leaders especially as the Union is funding the scheme out of it's own funds".

McGuigan called on the Department of Employment and Learning to financially support initiatives such as that undertaken by the Queen's Students' Union and pointed out that under the former minister, Sean Farren, the Department underspent by over £50 million.

"It is ironic", said McGuigan, "that the Department of Employment and Learning had £57 million excess under Minister Farren's direction, especially at a time when financial hardship is continually being cited as the main obstacle to pursuing a university education."

McGuigan urged the current minister to invest in the students' initiative and remove the greatest obstacle by abolishing the student loans system.

Students pull out of 'policing conference'

With nationalist political opinion divided over policing and Sinn Féin accusing the SDLP of settling for less than the full implementation of the Patten Report, a number of pupils of St Mary's Grammar school on the Glen Road, West Belfast, have made it known where they stand.

The pupils, who were to represent St Mary's at a 'Community Policing' Conference, pulled out of the event when they found out that the RUC/PSNI would be present. The conference was held on Tuesday 22 January without three of the St Mary's boys.

According to one of the pupils who contacted An Phoblacht the pupils didn't know "until the last minute that the RUC/PSNI would be present".

Ironically, two of those teenagers had been stopped and abused by RUC/PSNI patrols in the last two months and claim that within the school many pupils are angry that their school "is being seen to endorse a force in which they have absolutely no confidence".

Local Sinn Féin councillor Paul Maskey is calling on those in authority over Catholic schools to stop giving the RUC/PSNI a leg up. Maskey was talking to An Phoblacht on hearing the news that St Mary's had decided to go ahead with the conference even though RUC/PSNI representatives were present.

"The reality is that in West Belfast, where the majority of St Mary's pupils come from, the RUC/PSNI is an unacceptable force," he said. "People feel that the RUC/PSNI's credibility in this area is zero, especially in the area of so-called community policing. Joyriders and petty criminals are given free reign to do what they want by the RUC/PSNI, who are more interested in recruiting these people as informers than in stopping their activities."