O'Neill Says Parental Choice Must Have Precedence In Our Education System

“Given the state of our education system, it is clear that there needs to be more agreement in the planning of educational services within government. “Parental choice must be given supremacy within our education system. Greater investment is required in early years education in order to tackle the current poor literacy and numeracy levels among children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. “The SDLP want to make sure all our children have an equal opportunity at achieving educational excellence and that allowances for sixth form students through the Education Maintainance Allowance are protected. “We also want to reform the education system to ensure it no longer focuses so much on exams, but on the delivery of a more rounded education for our children and a system which provides parental choice of shared, Irish-medium, state or faith-based education through the provision of appropriate access for all pupils. “In order to move forward and improve our education system, it is vital that we have agreement and consensus. The SDLP is the only party that can progress the current system as we are the only party truly committed to building a better education system for all children in the North.” ]]>