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Review of Public Administration Policy Paper 22
Area- based planning of the Education Estate
The Ulster Teachers’ Union welcomes the definition of area - based planning as being ‘about anticipating the future education needs of an area and planning to meet those needs’ and ‘has a broader focus than just schools and colleges’ and will include youth services and early years provision with the potential of encapsulating other community provision. It reflects the recommendations of the Bain Report – the Strategic Review of Education.
We support the objective of providing a system of strong sustainable educational facilities and understand that asset management information, derived from condition and suitability surveys of school buildings, plays an important role in this. We would emphasise the need for the allocation of long term adequate funding. When deciding the geographical coverage of a region, planners need to take into account that the educational system includes very young children, who cannot be expected to travel long distances resulting in an intolerably long day. Enrolment in schools should reflect where children live and parental preference. We would have concerns that this may be hampered by the proposal that area plans be based initially on present District Council areas or groups of Council areas. However, we welcome that there would be a link to the new council areas.
We have noted that while the policy paper states that area based planning will cover ‘the individual’s requirements from early years through school, youth and Further Education provision, whilst accounting also for cross-sector issues and interdependencies between providers and areas’ there is no reference to pre-school provision other than nursery schools.
While we recognise that the Education and Skills Authority would produce the area plans, along with asset management information and strategic investment plans to aid effective decision making, teacher unions need to be involved throughout the process and would be willing to advise ESA on how educational needs might best be addressed.
As a teacher union we feel strongly that we should be included at all stages of area - based planning, as an interested party, receiving information about proposed significant changes to schools and are given the opportunity to comment on any proposed developments that may affect our members before any decisions are taken. We feel that as we represent a large part of the teaching force we would have valuable practical experience and knowledge to bring to any developmental proposals and look forward to being involved through meaningful consultation at all stages.
Ulster Teachers' Union response to the Review of Public Administration
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