Primary school education in South Belfast

 agree with my honourable friend’s comments. As I listen to boards of governors, particularly of primary schools, I think that there is no doubt that the transfer procedure, the education policies and the governance are putting additional pressure on teachers and head teachers. A way must be found to phase in those policies gradually.

Dr McDonnell mentioned some areas of concern — the “pressures” — such as underfunding, which is a major issue for schools across Northern Ireland. I am a member of a board of governors of a primary school outside Belfast. At one recent meeting that I attended, parents were painting the doors of the classrooms. That primary school is well run, but that incident tells its own story. Through their amazing fund-raising efforts, parent-teacher associations are picking up the slack in many areas by supplying equipment that education and library boards should be supplying to schools for out-of-school activities, and so forth.

The particular school to which I referred had damp spots, and the parent-teacher association supplied replacement tiles for ceilings in two or three classrooms because the board was not providing them.

In Fane Street Primary School, which I visited recently, window frames are being allowed to rot simply because they have not been given a lick of paint. It is a tragedy that boards are allowing such things to happen. Instead of painting the frames, boards are going to the expense of replacing windows or fascia boards in schools at great cost when simple repairs could have been undertaken for a small amount of money as part of routine maintenance. That probably affects every school in South Belfast. The Minister must examine that.

Academic selection was also covered. I have learnt the depth of feeling that exists on the issue from surveys that I have carried out in the Finaghy and Saintfield Road areas and beyond. Of the responses I received, 96% indicated support for academic selection. When asked what issue MLAs should be prioritising, 84% of responses stated that transfer must be sorted out as matter of urgency. If the Assembly is debating primary education in South Belfast, it cannot ignore what is, undoubtedly, the biggest issue at present. The Minister must listen to the 96% of respondents in my area — and I have no doubt that similar surveys have been carried out in other areas — who want academic selection to remain. Why is the Minister trying to advance a programme of change, as she puts it, when the people of Northern Ireland have clearly rejected her notions of change? I could discuss that subject for a long time.

Greater funding is needed for extended-schools programmes, particularly for special-needs provision. Members are aware of the problems that exist in that area. Provision is, certainly, being drastically underfunded by some boards, and that is causing schools, particularly primary schools, major concern. I ask the Minister to take all of those issues into account and to deal with them as soon as possible.