Stranmillis/QUB: Proposed Merger

Oral Answers to Questions – in the Northern Ireland Assembly at 2:30 pm on 20 January 2014.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Jimmy Spratt Jimmy Spratt DUP 2:30, 20 January 2014

3. asked the Minister for Employment and Learning to update the House on the widely talked about proposed merger of Stranmillis University College and Queen’s University. (AQT 563/11-15)

Photo of Stephen Farry Stephen Farry Alliance

I thank the Member for his question.  In 2011, when I took up office, the merger was very much on the agenda.  Indeed, my predecessor had issued a consultation document on it.  However, it became clear that there was opposition in the Assembly to the merger proceeding as it was set out in the consultation document.  The particular governance arrangements at Stranmillis required a decision to be taken through the Assembly's structures to enable that to happen.  The merger is now essentially on hold as we do the wider review of the teacher training infrastructure.  I do not want to predict particular outcomes that may arise from that, although that is something on which the panel will reflect as part of a wider set of potential arrangements that could arise.

Photo of Jimmy Spratt Jimmy Spratt DUP

I thank the Minister for his answer.  In the light of any future announcement, does he recognise and will he take into consideration the very considerable work that Stranmillis has done to raise additional finance through various methods since the proposed merger was last talked about?

Photo of Stephen Farry Stephen Farry Alliance

I am certainly happy to pay tribute to our teacher training colleges on a range of fronts.  They are able to raise additional resources, and I acknowledge their ongoing work on that.  They also perform extremely well in national student surveys.  However, I do not think that that detracts from what is still the underlying situation that faces our teacher education system in Northern Ireland.  It is important that we use resources wisely and ensure that we follow international best practice in arrangements.  It is still Stranmillis's policy that the merger should proceed.  When we talk about the merger and reflect on what was discussed, it is important to note that it was not about Stranmillis losing quality and being subsumed into the much bigger entity of Queen's University; it was very much a potential marriage of equal partners, where a new ethos would be created on the back of any potential merger and something would emerge that was much greater than the sum of its parts. 

We await the panel's recommendations with great interest.  Whatever happens, there will be an exciting future for teacher education in Northern Ireland.  We are striving to ensure that we have a world-class system, and I do not think that we should aspire to anything less than that.