Statement by Mae Burke MBE, Northern Ireland education spokesperson for the Conservative Party.
“The proposal from the Governing Body of Stranmillis University College to invite QUB and UU to relocate their teacher education programmes onto the Stranmillis site is welcomed by the NI Conservatives. Such a move would bring about a much-needed critical mass of students and staff on the site with a renewed energy to bring about world-class teacher-education provision. It would also rationalise resources and facilitate investment.
Stranmillis is already academically integrated with Queen's University and its newly qualified teachers graduate with a Bachelor of Education degree. In the most recent proposed merger between QUB and Stranmillis, which regrettably did not succeed due to lack of political will, the university was most pro-active and offered to invest significant funds on the site. Hopefully UU will also accept the benefits of the move and work with the other institutions to find a positive outcome.
We acknowledge the difficulties and challenges which management and staff of Stranmillis have faced in recent years with reduced funding and a lack of demand for teachers in Northern Ireland. If they all now embrace this new opportunity, they can look forward to an enriched experience for both staff and students.
It would be a most unfortunate missed opportunity for the removal of segregated teacher education at the Primary level in Northern Ireland, if St Mary's University College refuses to engage in a process of integrating provision but that is their choice and if so, it should not hold back plans by Stranmillis, QUB and UU.
The bottom line is - teacher education in Northern Ireland cannot continue in its present form with five institutions (including the Open University) producing teachers for an already saturated market. Given the overall pressures on the Northern Ireland budget, it is imperative that the Executive steps up to the mark, and supports the outworkings of this initiative.”