:00:00. > :00:00.Good evening and welcome to BBC Newsline.
:00:07. > :00:08.A man has died following a crash on the M2 near
:00:09. > :00:13.A section of the motorway was closed in both directions
:00:14. > :00:18.In a separate incident a pedestrian is in a critical condition
:00:19. > :00:21.after he was hit by a vehicle in Crossmaglen this morning.
:00:22. > :00:27.Several cars were involved in this serious crash.
:00:28. > :00:30.It led to the closure of the motorway in both directions
:00:31. > :00:36.The collision took place half a mile from the Templepatrick offslip.
:00:37. > :00:39.The 30-year-old driver of a Seat Ibiza lost his life.
:00:40. > :00:42.Two other men were hurt but their injuries aren't thought
:00:43. > :00:47.The collision which led to the closure of this major road
:00:48. > :00:56.Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed it to come forward.
:00:57. > :00:59.Road closures were also in place in Crossmaglen this morning
:01:00. > :01:02.A pedestrian was struck by a car in the main square.
:01:03. > :01:05.The man, who's in his 20s, is in a critical condition.
:01:06. > :01:11.Police have recovered a car they believe was involved.
:01:12. > :01:14.A man is seriously ill after he was stabbed in the back
:01:15. > :01:18.The incident happened after an altercation near the town
:01:19. > :01:22.The police say a family group were chased by others
:01:23. > :01:26.A man has been rescued after falling onto rocks while playing
:01:27. > :01:33.Emergency services were called to the scene in Ardglass at lunchtime.
:01:34. > :01:35.The coastguard helicopter flew him to the Royal Hospital in Belfast,
:01:36. > :01:39.where his injuries are not thought to be serious.
:01:40. > :01:43.It was all change in education in 2016, with DUP ministers taking
:01:44. > :01:47.over responsibility for both schools and universities.
:01:48. > :01:49.As our education correspondent, Robbie Meredith, reports,
:01:50. > :01:52.they made some big decisions but face tough choices over
:01:53. > :02:05.Following the Assembly elections in May, Peter Weir became the first DUP
:02:06. > :02:06.Education Minister says the Assembly was re-established nearly two
:02:07. > :02:08.decades ago. Almost immediately,
:02:09. > :02:10.he changed his Sinn Fein predecessor's policy in the transfer
:02:11. > :02:13.tests, allowing primary schools The tests were based around
:02:14. > :02:18.where the curriculum is anyway There has always been
:02:19. > :02:28.the option to opt in or out. Everyone wants the best
:02:29. > :02:41.for their children but the best and a shared future for everybody
:02:42. > :02:47.so you don't have a system of haves Mr Weir also came under pressure
:02:48. > :03:04.from the teaching unions over pay. The union strapped in November and
:03:05. > :03:07.plans more stoppages in the New Year. -- abstract.
:03:08. > :03:12.He responded by calling the striking action futile.
:03:13. > :03:16.Meanwhile, the education authority ran into controversy
:03:17. > :03:20.over its decision to cut hours from pupils in bursaries,
:03:21. > :03:23.a move opposed by some parents, principals and the former
:03:24. > :03:30.They need to make sure they are providing the proper
:03:31. > :03:33.facilities for young people's educational needs.
:03:34. > :03:43.There was plenty to celebrate with rises in GCSE and A-level
:03:44. > :03:46.results and primary school pupils declared the best in Europe
:03:47. > :03:57.At the other end of the education scale, more young people
:03:58. > :04:03.from Northern Ireland have entered university this year
:04:04. > :04:10.And though a minority headed off across the Irish Sea.
:04:11. > :04:12.But paying for their education remains a problem.
:04:13. > :04:14.A document from Queens obtained by the BBC called for significant
:04:15. > :04:18.rises in government funding for student tuition fees.
:04:19. > :04:23.Like his school counterpart, the DUP Universities Minister Simon Hamilton
:04:24. > :04:26.has plenty in his injury in the New Year.
:04:27. > :04:28.Parents who bought their children internet devices at Christmas
:04:29. > :04:31.are being urged to talk to them about online safety.
:04:32. > :04:34.It's after Childline took more than 150 calls about online
:04:35. > :04:39.The charity says it's vital for parents to talk to children
:04:40. > :04:42.about being safe online, spotting the signs of inappropriate
:04:43. > :04:51.Ireland's oldest citizen has died at the age of 108.
:04:52. > :04:56.Sarah Clancy from Connemara in County Galway was born in May 1908.
:04:57. > :05:01.She spent much of her life in the US before returning home in 1988.
:05:02. > :05:04.Now just time to see what the weather has in store.
:05:05. > :05:22.Some decent wintry weather and dry weather because of high pressure in
:05:23. > :05:26.charge, keeping the Atlantic weather fronts at bay. But we're on the
:05:27. > :05:28.periphery of that high pressure with those isobars gathering a little
:05:29. > :05:33.through tonight so the breeze will be picking up in a few spots,
:05:34. > :05:36.particularly towards the north-west and more cloud he also and it might
:05:37. > :05:39.bring the odd spot of drizzle but generally it is a dry night and
:05:40. > :05:42.still fairly clear towards the east and south-east and this is where we
:05:43. > :05:57.shall see the lowest temperatures getting close to
:05:58. > :06:01.freezing in some rural areas giving us a touch of frost. A chilly start
:06:02. > :06:04.tomorrow for some but a decent day with dry, bright weather and if you
:06:05. > :06:07.are in the North and West, breezy and we might start with some cloud.
:06:08. > :06:09.The best hazy sunshine likely to be towards East. That band of cloud and
:06:10. > :06:11.brisk wind extends into Scotland with drizzle for Northern and
:06:12. > :06:14.western parts but other than that a lot of dry weather, brightening up
:06:15. > :06:17.across the Republic, much of England and Wales after a frosty start but
:06:18. > :06:19.where we have had fog overnight some of that could be slow to clear and
:06:20. > :06:24.quite stubborn and could affect some airports and it will also feel quite
:06:25. > :06:28.cold by that lingers but in the sunshine, 7-9 . Northern Ireland for
:06:29. > :06:31.the afternoon, dry, bright and even the north and west seeing the cloud
:06:32. > :06:41.breaking up to give bright spells and highs of around seven or 8
:06:42. > :06:44.degrees. Through the rest of the week, a lot of cloud in the
:06:45. > :06:45.forecast, as south-westerly breeze but mainly dry and temperatures
:06:46. > :06:45.rising a little. Our next BBC Newsline
:06:46. > :06:49.is at 6.25am in the morning You can also keep updated
:06:50. > :06:53.with News Online.