Oh boy. The DUP didn’t have to choose the Education portfolio up in Stormont, but it did. Likewise the party didn’t need to appoint Paul Givan as their Education minister but they did. Right now that looks like two very bad decisions by the DUP.
Talkback on Raidio Uladh is buzzing over the fact that Bangor Academy, the largest school in NEI, has been refused Integrated status by the DUP minister Givan. The principal of the school and the parents of children attending the school have made it clear that they very much want to be designated Integrated. Even officials in the Department of Education think it should be officially designated Integrated.
Why would all those people directly involved with the school think that way? Because although the majority in the school are pupils from a Protestant background, over 40% are from Catholic,non-Christian or non-religious backgrounds.The school says 23 home languages are spoken by pupils. Alas, Education minister Givan has given a thumb’s-down response.
Now why do you think that would be? Nobody knows for sure, except maybe Paul Givan. The Alliance Party’s Connie Egan has called for Givan to explain “his rationale for effectively blocking integrated education across north Down. It is difficult to think of one, given the overwhelming public support for the move among parents of pupils and the wider local community.”
The SDLP’s Cara Hunter says Givan’s refusal to allow the school become Integrated flies in the face of what the clear majority of parents want.
It’ll be interesting to see how Givan explains himself; at present it looks like everyone’s out of step with our Paul.
Finally, two totally irrelevant morsels. Somewhere on the internet, if you search hard enough, you’ll find a picture of Paul Givan (DUP) setting fire to an Eleventh Night bonfire. He’s turned towards the camera and is grinning from ear to ear. And likewise, if you do a bit of googling, you’ll find an account of how Paul Givan as Education minister pulled away scholarships for children planning to go to Donegal Gaeltacht to learn Irish. Having made his announcement, Givan ended with a cheery “Merry Christmas!”
But as I say, both those morsels have absolutely nothing to do with Givan’s Bangor decision. Stop sniggering, Virginia.
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