Committee to discuss North's further education problems

An Assembly committee is to hear of alleged failing in the further education sector in the North today.

The education committee is meeting the Education and Training Inspectorate at Stormont over problems with special needs provision and promoting greater opportunities in FE colleges.

It will also be discussing changes to the teaching administration with the new centralised education authority being established.

Vice-chair Dominic Bradley said: “One of the things I will be asking about is how the education and training inspectorate will link up with the new education and skills authority because they both have as their aims the improvement of achievement and effectiveness of schools.

“We would like to know how they intend to work with each other.”

The group of MLAs will also hear a presentation on the implementation of recommendations from the Bain report into the future of education in the North.

In December 2006, the Bain report found that a third of schools – 440 in total - do not have a required minimum number of pupils.

Its author, Professor George Bain, said this did not mean that small schools should close. However, he warned that the current status quo could not prevail. Schools could face closure or amalgamation.

It also recommended that the minimum enrolment for primary schools should be 140 in urban areas and 105 in rural areas.

The current minimum number advised is 60 pupils.