Northern Ireland

Profile: Peter Weir's prudent performance in period of massive upheaval for education

We waited three years for the Assembly's return and the new administration at Stormont had only got itself in place when it was faced with dealing with the coronavirus pandemic. Six months have passed since the New Decade New Approach Deal saw Arlene Foster and Michelle O'Neill lead the new Executive. Simon Doyle assesses how Peter Weir, Education Minister, has performed.

Education Minister Peter Weir. Picture by Hugh Russell
Education Minister Peter Weir. Picture by Hugh Russell Education Minister Peter Weir. Picture by Hugh Russell

IF any minister was best placed to hit the ground running after a three year rest, it was likely to be Peter Weir.

The DUP's education spokesman enjoyed something a head start on most of his colleagues around the executive table, having had a little taste of his portfolio pre-collapse.

And he kept on top of his brief during the hiatus.

Among the first skilled moves upon return was choosing Peter Martin as his special adviser.

The executive had already decided in New Decade New Approach that underachievement was going to be tackled as a priority.

Possessing experience in education, Mr Martin, a councillor in North Down, had produced a comprehensive report on that very subject.

With an incredibly consummate permanent secretary Derek Baker at the helm in the department, Mr Weir is surrounded by several formidable people.

Many of the issues are the same now as when he first stepped into his office at Rathgael House, only the money situation is far, far worse than it was previously.

In early interviews, and he made himself available from day one, Mr Weir said he was keen to avoid academic selection becoming the dominant issue - so, of course it did.

Perhaps it is because his party remains wedded to the notion while almost everyone else seems to have become exasperated. It is a topic that will never go away, however.

In mid-January, Mr Weir's first public announcement concerned a £45 million building programme for schools. Cynics might think this was being held in the `bottom drawer', but whether it was or not, a big money announcement was a sure-fire way to get a lot of people on-side. He later announced money for new school builds, which pleased some, and not others - the Irish-medium sector was especially upset to miss out.

Setting out his key priorities, he highlighted the area of academic underachievement as a key focus for his term as well as the implementation of a new framework for Special Education Needs and the childcare offer available to parents.

He rightly acknowledged that school budgets were under severe pressure and there was a need to ensure teachers received the level of pay they deserve. The long-running pay and conditions dispute has since been settled on his watch. His comments on reforming inspections have also been supported by unions.

Mr Weir's, and his department's, response to coronavirus has been sound, although was always bound to attract criticism from some groups and individual politicians, for varying reasons.

The word unprecedented has been used an unprecedented number of times, but the system appears to have adapted very well given how quickly it was all shut down.

It is a touch unfair to find fault with his department for stalling area-planning work, as important as that is, because staff have had to be redeployed and are stretched helping with the Covid-19 effort.

Mr Weir is the first minister in living memory to preside over the shutting down of schools and the cancellation of summer exams - two things he would much rather not have had to do.

He successfully fought the corner of `casual' substitute teachers who found themselves out of pocket suddenly. Yes, it may have taken longer than some opponents liked, but he stuck at it and helped secure a financial package for a group that might otherwise have received nothing.

He also started to roll out an important scheme to provide digital devices to children living in areas of deprivation, amid fears their education might suffer more while learning from home.

There remains a lot of urgent and hard work ahead, but overall, Mr Weir has performed prudently in a period of massive upheaval.