Diocese of Down & Dromore

Education spokespersons of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches have described comments made last week by the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness as misleading, derogatory and a slur on the integrity of the transferor churches which they represent.   Mr McGuinness made his comments in a Belfast Telegraph column published last week (14 April) where, among other things, he was highly critical of the role of transferor churches in hindering educational reform.   In response the Church education spokespersons have put on record their 'intense disappointment at the tone and content' of the remarks and corrected 'some particularly misleading comments' in a statement issued today (21 April 2010). 

The full transcript appears below.   'Of great concern to us is the way the deputy First Minister has presented us as obstinate and rejectionist,' says the Revd Trevor Gribben, Presbyterian spokesperson on Education, responding to Mr McGuinness's statement that the transferor churches have rejected ten proposals for their future role in education.   'Nothing could be further from the truth,' argues Mr Gribben explaining that transferors have always taken a positive and helpful attitude in their regular meetings with Sinn Fein representatives and Department officials.

'Of the ten proposals, nine were rejected by the Department themselves leaving us with an unacceptable take it or leave it choice.'   In their statement the Church spokespersons also express 'great dismay' at Mr McGuinness's description of Education and Library Boards as 'not fit for purpose.'   'This is insulting to the distinguished record of service provided by ELBs who are committed to working towards building a much better education system for all the children of Northern Ireland,' says Mr Gribben.   The statement from the Church spokesmen also makes clear the transferor churches are not opposed to the principle of establishing a single Education and Skills Authority. However, the churches' demand that this must be in the context of equality for all, which has received the suppoprt of the Roman Catholic Church and other political parties, has not been satisfactorily addressed by either the Department of Education or Sinn Fein.   'We also regret the slur on our integrity by the deputy First Minister's accusation of hiding behind the slogan "What we have we hold,"' continued Mr Gribben.   'What transferors are trying to hold on to are basic legal rights given to the protestant churches when they transferred their schools to state control. We ask for no more than the protection of the rights which other sectors enjoy. Such parity of treatment is surly part of the equality agenda that we hear so much about, especially at this election time.   'Change is needed but it has to be the right change.  The transferors are committed to join with other educational partners including the Department and Sinn Fein to bring about such change which will deliver the ever improving education system that our young people deserve.'

Full Statement

'We do indeed need co-operation not continued conflict', say Church education spokespersons.

A response to comments on education by the deputy First Minister published in the Belfast Telegraph on 14 April 2010:

As the education spokespersons of the Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches, we wish to put on public record our intense disappointment at the tone and content of recent remarks made by the deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, MLA, in a comment piece in the Belfast Telegraph on Wednesday 14th April 2010.  We also wish to correct some particularly misleading comments contained in the article.

We deeply regret the suggestion that the transferor churches are impediments to progress in education.  Of great concern to us is the way the deputy First Minister has presented transferors as obstinate and rejectionist.  By misleadingly stating that 'ten separate options have been proposed, explored and rejected' the impression is given that transferors have rejected realistic attempts to find solutions.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  During confidential discussions with ministerial advisers and Department of Education officials, the department did provide an analysis of ten options.  However, it was the department who ruled out nine of those options immediately and in reality presented only one option to transferors as a take it or leave it choice.  Our legal advisers recommended that we should not accept that proposal, as it fell far short of treating the controlled sector and the transferring churches with equality and fairness.  Having explained our reasoning to the department, and after several months of silence, a second option has been presented to us, but that too falls well short of what we believe is required to deliver a fair and equitable settlement for the controlled sector as a whole and for the place of the protestant churches, who transferred their schools into the control of the state, within that sector.

As spokespersons for churches who nominate representatives to Education & Library Boards, we are also greatly dismayed by the deputy First Minister's derogatory comments in describing those Boards as 'not fit for purpose'. This is insulting to the distinguished record of service provided by ELBs to all schools from all sectors in their areas and to people who are committed to working towards building a much better education system for all the children of NI.

The transferor churches are not opposed to the principle of the establishing a single Education and Skills Authority for Northern Ireland, however, this has to be in the context of equality for all, something that Sinn Fein and the Department of Education has so far failed to satisfactorily address. As three churches, we are not alone in thinking that the original proposals for the establishment of the ESA, if implemented, would not treat the protestant churches fairly. Colleagues in the Roman Catholic Church have fully supported us in our analysis and our case has received widespread support from other political parties - not only unionist but also nationalist and those who see themselves as cross-community. 

It is with disappointment that the formerly businesslike and helpful engagement with Sinn Fein and the department has been blighted by this pejorative and unhelpful intervention. It is worth reflecting on who is actually cooperating to enable education services to be delivered to all schools in NI in spite of the failure of the Department of Education to find political and community consensus for its initiatives. In this prolonged period of great uncertainty it is transferor members of 'Interim boards' who along with trustee and teacher members are working incredibly hard to maintain a high level of service provision. Of the four boards operating normally, three are presently chaired by transferors – far from being uncooperative it is transferors who are at the heart of education providing their rightful, but also often sacrificial, contribution.

The deputy First Minister dismissively accuses transferors of simply hiding behind the slogan 'what we have we hold'. We deeply regret this slur on our integrity. What transferors are trying to hold on to are basic legal rights given to the protestant churches when they transferred their schools to state control. Surely a party such as Sinn Fein which prides itself on upholding rights and an equality agenda would understand this and do all in its power to protect and support any group which sees such rights threatened. We ask for no more than the protection of rights which other sectors enjoy. Such parity of treatment is surely part of the equality agenda that we hear so much about, especially at this election time.

Change is needed in the educational system in Northern Ireland, but it has to be the right change, delivered at the right time and implemented in the right way. To do otherwise will continue to lead to unnecessary conflict and fail to achieve the co-operation that the deputy First Minister states that he desires. 

The transferors are committed to join with all other educational partners, including the Department and Sinn Fein, in seeking to build the consensus that is necessary to bring about the change that will deliver the ever improving system of education that all of our young people so clearly deserve.

Statement issued by: Revd Ian W. Ellis (Secretary to the Church of Ireland Board of Education NI) Revd Trevor D. Gribben (Education Secretary of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland) Revd J. Trevor Jamieson (Northern Convenor of the Methodist Church in Ireland Board of Education)