02/6/2008

“Ruane ruthlessly sectarian with education, says Wilson”

East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson has said that the Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, cares little about quality education provision for children but instead prefers to use her ministry to play insidious, sectarian games.

Mr Wilson made the following statement:

“Islandmagee is in need of a new primary school and 5 years ago the board agreed a new school would be built. Land has been acquired and planning permission granted for a new build but the Education Minister is dragging her heels on the issue and has not allowed it to proceed.

Why has she not allowed it to proceed? It simply comes down to her own bias, discrimination and lack of enthusiasm and concern for the education of children unless it is through the means of the Irish Language.

Here we have in Islandmagee a population that can viably sustain a primary school, but she refuses to allow it to proceed. At the same time, she is trying to open new Irish language schools all over the country despite the fact that in many cases they do not even have the minimum number of pupils required to start up these types of institution. For example, in Londonderry, she has approved the opening of an Irish Language school against the advice of her senior advisors and inspectors, even though just 2.5 miles away there is an Irish medium school with 106 empty desks.

Ruane is yet again showing her, and her party’s, true colours. The old Sinn Fein mantra of ‘building an Ireland of equals’ is being shown as completely false and hypocritical. They care little about true equality and more about pursing and imposing their republican agenda. I have little doubt that if the people of Islandmagee wanted an Irish Language school the Minister would have had no trouble with the Minister. But they don’t and because of that she is dragging her heels.

Islandmagee deserves a new school, and I will be submitting a motion for debate in the Assembly calling on the Education to end her sectarian bias in relation to schools and allow the building of the new primary school in Islandmagee to go ahead.”



ENDS

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