What Is The OSOT Campaign?

We want to see education made a priority this assembly term, with due regard for the overwhelming public support for sharing and collaboration on a cross-community basis. We feel education in NI needs a radical overhaul to grow a system fit for purpose in the 21st century.

We are calling on the Minister for Education to set up an independent commission to carry out a holistic review of education delivery in NI and make recommendations for a way forward.

It Must:

• Be holistic and planned  NOT  piecemeal
• Be based on what parents want in their area NOT what institutions want
• Lead to a stronger more shared society NOT a segregated system
• Lead to collaboration and co-operation NOT  competition
• Use money BETTER through  sharing – get more for more pupils as they learn play and grow together

Why A Commission? We Have Elected Politicians To Sort This Out, Surely?

Our politicians should be demonstrating strong and shared leadership. But we think it’s time to take politics out of education, and free the service from the pressures of vested interests. We want the executive and education minister to establish an independent commission this assembly term.

Meanwhile, we want to see education subject to area-based planning, with the involvement of parents and local communities, with active encouragement and incentives for schools to engage in meaningful sharing in education.

Is There Political Support For A Commission?

The scoping paper by Oxford Economics, launched at the NI Economic Conference in September 2010, put forward the idea that a body should be set up to examine the current state of education delivery and a variety of possible future models.

In their Assembly Manifesto the DUP did call to establish a “Commission harnessing international expertise to advise on a strategy for enhancing sharing and integration within our education system”. The Alliance Education Spokesman, Trevor Lunn is backing the campaign, Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness signed up at the Sinn Fein Ard Fheis, and SDLP spokesman on education and leadership contender Conall McDevitt has called for a “Patten-style” review of the service. David McNarry o f the UUP welcomed the campaign. All political parties agree that what we have is not good enough – let’s start implementing what IS good enough.

Can We Afford Another Commission…What Would It Achieve?

We are wasting money on duplication, we are wasting money on ESA….can we afford NOT to have a commission? We cannot carry on as we are, nor can we continue salami-slicing the schools budget. We need a holistic, thorough review.

This commission would be time-limited – it would also have wide public support as evidenced by the responses to the Ipsos MORI survey .

But The Education Minister Has Already Set In Train An Audit Of Schools – Aren’t The Education Boards And The CCMS Already Carrying Out A Review Of Education?

That does not give us a cross-sectoral, cross-community approach and doesn’t give a single over-view of education. This Commission should engage parents, young people and local communities in a Northern Ireland-wide conversation about the education system they would wish to see.

Our vision is of local, community schools which all children attend in the area. The central question is whether DE and the Executive have the courage and the vision to stand up to the vested interests and take responsibility for shaping an education system that meets the needs of children and not its sectors and institutions.

What Form Does The Campaign Take?

We began with an open letter, signed by 75 key signatories including business leaders, charities and well-known figures in the arts and sport from across Northern Ireland. This was published in three daily papers and officially presented to the education committee at Stormont on 7th September, launching the One School of Thought campaign.

Numerous high-profile supporters have added their names to the campaign; you can see what some of them have to say by clicking here.

What Is The Next Stage?

The next stage is to show the minister, the education committee and the executive that the wider public, the people with the biggest stake in our children’s future, are behind the call for change.

What Can I Do?

Add your signature by clicking here - add a comment by clicking here and follow us on Facebook and Twitter to share the campaign with your friends. Find out lots more ways that you can get involved by clicking here.

What Happens To My Signature?

When you add your support to the campaign we will use your postcode to map out the levels of support across NI. Your personal information will never be publicly available, unless you ask for it to be.

We aim to re-present our call for change to the Minister of Education once signatures have been collected, reinforced by the public support of people like you. We will continue to build the campaign as more and more people join, until the executive responds to the wishes of the voters.

I Have A Question Which Isn’t Answered Here...

If you would like to discuss the campaign or the way that we can mobilise support in your area, email us or leave us a comment below.

The IEF would like to thank those parents and groups who have contacted us over the last few weeks on the lack of focus on children with disabilities in the One School of Thought Campaign. It was certainly not our intention to exclude children with disabilities as  our vision of schools is fully inclusive in every respect, including ability. Whilst our campaign has to remain primarily focused on challenging the separation of children on the basis of faith/culture we do not want and will not be diminishing in any manner the other fundamental ways we separate our children in this society. Indeed, for many parents of children with disabilities, integrated schools are often the schools of choice.