The thorny issue of education was centre stage at the Ardhowen Theatre on Monday night as concerned parties from across Fermanagh came together to discuss what lies ahead for children in the County.
The meeting was hosted by Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA, Arlene Foster, who had invited her Party colleague Sammy Wilson to address the meeting. Mr Wilson was Chair of the Education Committee at Stormont until his Ministerial appointment on Monday. Also in attendance was North Antrim MLA, Mervyn Storey, who is likely to take up the position of Chair of the Education Committee vacated by Mr Wilson.
An attendance of some 100 people turned up and the overriding message was a call for 'openness' from the Western Education and Library Board and the Department of Education.
In his address, Mr Wilson stated: "Academic selection is still possible, and without cross community support in the Assembly it will still be there. We, the DUP, have made it clear this is an issue we are not prepared to move. And, without agreement between parties, schools are free to use whatever criteria they want. Whatever the Minister issues can only be guidance, it will have no legal enforceability. So, even though the 11+ is banned, schools can still introduce their own test. If they don't set a test, the criteria will be similar to as at present".
He went on: "The DUP would rather see agreement and we are determined to work for it. We believe it would be much better to have it enshrined in regulation. However, the Minister doesn't seem to be willing, saying she is only prepared to talk about her proposals, so we are hardly likely to reach a compromise."
Mr Wilson stressed that his Party believed in merit: "What school you attend should not be based on your ability to buy your way into a catchment areas or on any social connections your parents may have. It should be chosen on the bases of academic assessment."
One member of the audience submitted: "All kids are different, some have academic ability and they should have the opportunity to reach the pinnacle of that.
"If you excel at sports or drama or music there is somewhere for you to go, but if you are academically gifted it seems to be a big problem.", they said.
Alex Baird, a member of the Board of Governors of Devenish College, asked Mrs Foster if she agreed with the 'status quo' option put forward by the Western Education and Library Board in their pre-consultation document?
Mrs Foster answered: "I don't like the term 'status quo', and I told the Board it is a pejorative term which turns people off. I feel we do need to discuss the schools' estate in Fermanagh. I am very angry they called this option, the 'status quo' as it is not open to discussion and I regret that."
Elizabeth Armstrong, principal of the Collegiate Grammar School in Enniskillen hit out at the way the issue was being handled.
She said: "We need to stop and think what we want to offer to our young people. The danger is we start to believe the negative propaganda that our schools are not performing.
"We are extremely fortunate in the provision that we have in this area and we must not lose confidence in that," she urged.
"I too have no time for the definition of 'status quo'. The Board hoped this would come across as pejorative, but the people of Fermanagh saw behind that and they recognised the quality they have.
"People also recognised there are issues to be faced in terms of falling enrolments, and how far they will fall we are not sure yet.
"But, there are issues in terms of numbers, in terms of new builds, and in how we make sure the provision we have is the best. Those are the questions we have not got round to addressing."
Ms Armstrong, continuing, said there was a need for diverse providers to meet the needs of young people. "If we don't stand for what we are as a school, then where is the diversity? If we start to believe the numbers' game, then what we will end up with is one big school which doesn't really serve anybody because we just don't have enough people - and that is just lame."
Dave Rees, principal of Lisnaskea High School, offered a different view: "I have been in Fermanagh some 18 months, and I have heard talk there is no elitism, but in my experience there is and I have met it on a weekly bases, from parents, members of the community and some teachers, and I think you need to be aware of that," he told the platform.
"Let's not forget the secondary schools, what happens with the current selection system is you are compounding two educational disadvantages of large numbers of children of all abilities and social disadvantage together in the same school, and we need to take that into account."
Drawing the debate to a close, Mrs Foster concluded: "We need to have frank, honest discussion. But, that's not something we have had in Fermanagh.
"The pre-consultation has been done behind closed doors, and I regret that. The pre-consultation has led to a lot of division in the education sector in Fermanagh.
"We have started from a very poor position, but let's get it out in the open now and move forward," she urged.
