Uproar over lack of Nursery School place in Northern Ireland
UUP Education Spokesperson Basil McCrea MLA speaking at the recent National Confederation of Parents and Teachers Association Gold Star Awards at Queen's University Belfast
UUP Education Spokesman Basil McCrea has today spoken of his anger and frustration that parents of children across Northern Ireland have not been offered suitable teacher led nursery places.
“In my constituency alone, there have been around 300 children in the SEELB area who have been told they may have to travel up to an hour each way just to attend a nursery school. Parents want teacher led pre-school education, and they want it in their own area.”
“It is clear there are not sufficient nursery places, and the Department of Education has not gone far enough to ensure parents are given a choice on where to send their pre-schoolers. “ Read more
McCrea challenges DUP on Education policy
Ulster Unionist Spokesperson on Education, Basil McCrea MLA
Ulster Unionist Lagan Valley candidate Bail McCrea has responded to Peter Robinson’ latest intervention in the field of education.
Speaking at a hustings event at St Columbs Grammar School in Londonderry Basil McCrea said;
“The Ulster Unionist Party has always been in favour of a single educational system in theory, but the problem has always been the practical outworking of such a system.
Peter Robinson’s latest intervention in the Education debate is most interesting due to the strong rumour circulating that the DUP and Sinn Fein have already done a deal regarding Ministerial portfolios post the election, with the DUP seeking to take Education whilst letting Sinn Fein take Enterprise, Trade & Investment. Read more
UUP Education Spokesperson supports Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust’s lobby against funding cut at Stormont
UUP Education Spokesperson Basil McCrea joins the protest with colleague Mid-Ulster UUP Candidate Sandra Overend
Today children and young people with severe learning disabilities from Parkview School and other special schools across Northern Ireland, made their way to the Assembly as part of the Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust’s ‘Mile for Music Therapy’ event.
The group handed over a petition to MLAs for the Minister for Health and Social Services, Michael McGimpsey, to register their views for the protection of funding to Northern Ireland Music Therapy Trust. The Trust has helped support approximately 600 children over the past eight years, and are currently at risk of losing all their funding due to reallocation within the budget.
“The Music Therapy services provided by the Trust are vital to the children and young people at Parkview and other schools across Northern Ireland” stated Basil McCrea. Read more
McCrea supports local libraries in assisting the development of babies and toddlers
One of the Rhythm and Rhyme classes at the Lisburn City Library which meets every Thursday morning
Today Lagan Valley MLA Basil McCrea visited Lisburn City Library as they welcomed around 40 young babies and toddlers under four, into their weekly “Rhythm and Rhyme” sessions.
The UUP Education spokesperson plans to support the benefits of Libraries NI scheme at the Assembly due to the vast range of positive benefits it has to young children’s early development.
“The children here are not only enjoying themselves, but they are receiving the crucial foundations for later education as they are also benefitting from improved concentration, listening skills and expanded social skills for when they enter into a school environment” stated Mr McCrea. Read more
Policing Board publishes Children and Young People’s Thematic Review
Lauren Smith from Lagan College, Board Member Basil McCrea and Director of Public Achievement Paul Smyth take a look at the Fair Cop website
The Northern Ireland Policing Board will publish a report on Wednesday 26th January 2011 at Malone College, Belfast on some aspects of how the PSNI meet their human rights obligations in relation to children and young people.
Public Achievement, a youth based charity, is taking this opportunity to explore the potential of social media as a means of engaging with children and young people on the issues raised in the report.
Speaking about the launch, Chair of the Human Rights and Professional Standards Committee Basil McCrea, said: “This is the first in a series of interactive and online events that the Policing Board will be carrying out to develop engagement in respect of key policing issues. Read more
McCrea calls for greater clarity from Ruane on budget
Attending the Education Committe's meeting are Basil McCrea MLA, David Hilditch MLA, Mary Bradley MLA, Prof Daniel Perkins of Penn State University, Mervyn Storey MLA, Chair of the Committee, Prof Tim Shanahan from the University of Illinois, Michelle McIlveen MLA, Julie Healy, Programme Manager of Barnardos & Margaret Kelly, Assistant Director of Policy of Barnardos.
Ulster Unionist Education spokesman Basil McCrea MLA has called on the Education Minister Caitriona Ruane to provide greater clarity on her draft budget proposals for the coming four years.
Commenting after an Education Committee meeting with Minister Caitriona Ruane today, Mr McCrea said:
“At our meeting with the Minister today I specifically asked the Minister for greater clarity on those aspects of her budget regarding envisaged redundancies. I was disappointed when the Minister was not able to provide this clarification to us. Read more
Basil McCrea’s UUP Conference speech 2010 now available online
Schools better to ‘err on the side of caution’ for bad weather
A scene of the weather conditions in Scotland - Provided by Flickr user thskyt
The Newsletter published a recent article of Basil McCrea speaking out to encourage schools to prepare for bad weather;
“UUP education spokesman Basil McCrea said the weather-related closure of around 90 schools across Northern Ireland yesterday was understandable in the circumstances – but said schools must make contingency plans as there could be many similar falls of snow in the coming months.
“The principals know best as there are some very difficult local conditions, and provided it’s not a recurring problem then it’s probably better to err on the side of caution. Read more
Youth Achievers host Basil McCrea praises teens who make a difference
MLA Basil McCrea stepped up the pace in Stormont on Saturday night when he hosted the Daily Mirror Youth Achievers Ball
Today the Daily Mirror published an eight page article praising Basil McCrea’s annual Youth Achievers event at the Stormont Assembly last Saturday night;
The UUP man wanted to salute young people from across Northern Ireland who are tackling community issues such as suicide, addictions, poverty and ill health for the third year running, reported the Mirror.
Basil McCrea said, “This is about young people making a difference in their own lives and helping Northern Ireland grow and mature.” Read more
Basil McCrea MLA shows his support of the BT Young Scientist award
Basil McCrea with the Minister of Education and Vicki Graves and Ciara Bell, two students from Hunter House on Work Experience with Mr McCrea this week
Yesterday Basil McCrea MLA met the finalists for the science students from across Northern Ireland who are competing for BT’s Young Scientist Award of 2011.
Basil McCrea said; “It is exciting to be around so many students with such creative ideas and fresh innovation coming forward to compete for this award. Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) provide some of the most essential skills for our young people as they make their way through education. ” Read more
