Northern schools that fail to make the grade should be 'culled'

Secondary schools that fail to make the grade should be ‘‘culled’’, a leading representative of Northern Ireland’s business community said today.

Eric Bell, Chairman of the Institute of Directors told the Assembly’s education committee that schools should be subjected to the rules of the market place.

He said this could mean less successful schools closing down, with resources being re-allocated to schools achieving high standards.

‘‘The good should be allowed to get bigger and those who aren’t so good should be culled,’’ he said.

But his remarks were criticised by committee member Barry McElduff (Sinn Fein, West Tyrone), who said he was shocked at such sentiments in relation to education.

‘‘It’s a long time since we heard language like supply and demand, cull and efficiency used about children in schools,’’ he said.

Mr Bell said that if the language offended Mr McElduff or the rest of the committee, then he was sorry.

But he added: ‘‘In business, if the good is there, we believe it should be encouraged and developed. Things that aren’t working properly should be stopped. That’s what happening in business day after day.’’

Mr Bell was part of an IoD delegation that presented a submission on the future of post primary education to the committee.

Under one heading ‘‘Keep the Best, Improve the Rest’’, the IoD submission advocated maintaining the grammar schools, which have a ‘‘well deserved reputation for academic excellence’’, while providing more resources to the secondary schools to offer more technical/vocational education.

It said it attached great importance to all education, both vocational and academic.

‘‘We are most concerned at the lack of esteem accorded to people in ‘‘blue collar’’ as opposed to ‘‘white collar’’ jobs. Business success depends equally on those who can make and supply goods and services, and on those who can extend the boundaries of knowledge.’’

But the submission was described as ‘‘somewhat confusing’’ by Patricia Lewsley (SDLP, Lagan Valley), who said the business community had traditionally failed to give proper recognition to vocational qualifications.

‘‘Young people from the vocational road don’t get the same recognition in the business world. I believe you have a very big role to play here,’’ she said.

Ken Robinson (UUP, East Antrim) asked the delegation how the business community could help to change the negative perception of secondary schools in Northern Ireland .

‘‘The perception is if you go to grammar school you end up on the golf course. If you go to secondary school you end up with a second job in the evening to try to boost your income.’’

Linda Brown, Divisional Director of the IoD told him that golf was not a preserve of management:

‘‘I was in a chauffeur driven car the other day and the chauffeur was going off to play golf,’’ she said.