There are no excuses for segregated education

Welcoming the  findings of recent research which indicates that 79 per cent of people in Northern Ireland favour integrated education, Workers Party  South Belfast representative Paddy Lynn says the time is right for an Independent Commission to map out an integrated education stategy.

‘This research also shows that the major Executive parties prefer the concept of  occasional ‘sharing’ between schools where the majority of students will remain of ‘Catholic’ or ‘Protestant’ background.  Real integration means bringing all of our children together throughout their school lives’, said Mr. Lynn

 ‘The main parties here are failing to give the people of Northern Ireland what they overwhelmingly want. At the moment fewer than seven per cent of our children are educated in the integrated sector’ 

Clearly this is an area which the main parties at Stormont do not wish to address.An Independent Commission should now be tasked with the responsibility of mapping out an Integrated Education Strategy.’, Mr. Lynn concluded

Read more:Workers Party conference  paper on Education

On International Womens Day the Workers Party asks what is the Assembly doing for  women in Northern Ireland and suggests that the appointment of a Women’s Minister would be a positive first step.

The Party’s statement also calls for

Implementation and funding of the draft Childcare Strategy for Northern Ireland

Immediately assessing the impact on women of the Welfare Reform Bill 

Ending the current public sector pay freeze 

Publishing guidelines on abortion in Northern Ireland without further delay and rejecting the amendment to the Criminal Justice Bill 

Ceasing to promote Northern Ireland as a low wage economy

Read more: What is the Assembly doing for women in Northern Ireland?