The future of education in the North loomed large in the minds of the political parties today with Sinn Féin announcing they wanted the portfolio backin the next Assembly.
Martin McGuinness, who was the Education Minister last time around, made itclear he had unfinished business.
The Ulster Unionists pledged to end the use of mobile classrooms within fiveyears and the Women's Coalition set out an aim to double the number of childrenin integrated education over the same time scale.
The SDLP set out its stall for an end to the 11 Plus, while the DemocraticUnionists made it clear they would fight to retain grammar schools which couldbe hit by the ending of selection.
Mr McGuinness said he was "eager to finish the job" that he had started.He said: "In education Sinn Fein will work for an all-Ireland approach toeducation provision, a significant increase in funding for education, the endingof the academic rejection of 11-year-old children and priorities children withspecial education needs."
Danny Kennedy, the former Ulster Unionist chairman of the EducationCommittee which scrutinised the work of Mr McGuinness, said the Department ofEducation had to make a serious effort to replace sub-standard mobileaccommodation with quality, purpose-built hi-tech classrooms.
Mr Kennedy, a candidate in Newry and Armagh said: "Parents and children havea right to expect the best in school accommodation."I believe if children could have pride in their school accommodation, itwould make many of them take school and education more seriously."
The SDLP manifesto pledged to end the 11-Plus and academic selection withthe introduction of all-ability, co-educational schooling based on parentalchoice.
It would replace A-Levels with a broader post-16 curriculum. and widen accessto education, targeting low income families.
Their policy came under fire from the DUP which branded it "educationalvandalism".
South Belfast candidate Mark Robinson, defending the grammar schools, said theSDLP agenda to destroy the best schools in Northern Ireland had to be resisted.
"Their pledge to end academic selection in Northern Ireland demonstrates thatthey are committed to destroying Northern Ireland's best schools."He added: "This is the kind of educational vandalism which must be blocked atthe ballot box."
The real challenge in education should not be destroying the best schools butimproving the rest, he said.
"Grammar schools offer opportunity for children in life and provide thechance for a better life."To cut this path off to go down the failed comprehensive route would be adisaster for Northern Ireland. This will lead to selection by post code and endthe provision of opportunity for all," he said.
The Women's Coalition said it would fight to double the number ofintegrated education places by 2008 to give 10% of Northern Ireland's childrenplaces.
Trudy Miller, South Down candidate and former primary school principle, saidthere should be a place for all parents who choose to send their children tointegrated schools.
Stressing the importance of integrated education she said 15,000 children werein integrated schools but more than 1,000 applications had to be turned downeach year because the schools were full.
"If we are serious about parental choice, we must provide more integratedplaces for those who want to attend."That means more government support and more resources for integratededucation," she said.Such schooling could "contribute to breaking down barriers and tacklingprejudice in our society," said Ms Miller.
Action too had to be taken at the teacher training level, she said. Teachertraining was the only university subject which was segregated and the Women'sCoalition would work for the establishment of an integrated teacher trainingcollege.
PA