No going back on 11-plus

Education

Education minister launches attack on academic selection

Thursday, June 28, 2007

By Kathryn Torney

Academic selection has no future in Northern Ireland, the Education Minister insisted today.

During an interview with the Belfast Telegraph, Caitriona Ruane launched a blistering attack on pupils being selected for schools based on their academic ability. She claimed the 11-plus resulted in the majority of P7 pupils being treated as second class citizens.

"I do not like the 11-plus. It has been extremely unfair to children and has told far too many of them that they are failures," she said.

"Most other countries in Europe are appalled at academic selection.

"It is entrenching division and disadvantage," she said.

When asked about the risk of a 'free for all' school admissions system - which could include entrance exams - if politicians fail to agree on a way forward, the Sinn Fein Minister said there was no need to create " artificial panic".

She also said that the DUP and UUP need to listen to their base and realise that the majority of people in Northern Ireland are against academic selection.

"Sometimes the DUP and UUP present this debate as if the entire Protestant community are pro-academic selection and the entire Catholic community are 'anti', but this is not the case."

However DUP spokesman Sammy Wilson said: "The vast majority of teachers and individuals have expressed support for academic selection.

"Grammar schools will be the most advantaged if there is a free for all admissions system - unless there is support for my proposal that they should only be allowed to accept pupils who reach a certain academic standard."

During the interview in Stormont's Parliament Buildings, Ms Ruane also revealed that a government target date for major re-organisation of the education system will not be met.

The stark admission that the new single education authority will not be up and running by the deadline of April 1 next year will spark fresh concern among the thousands of administrative workers, teachers and parents who have been anxiously waiting for news on how the streamlining of administration will impact on them.

The minister said that the timescale set down during direct rule for the establishment of the Education and Skills Authority would be "difficult to meet" and added that she would prefer to take her time and "get it right".

She disclosed that she will propose a new timescale for the massive rationalisation project during next Thursday's Executive meeting - but refused to go into detail about her plans.

The Belfast Telegraph revealed in March that no decisions had yet been taken about the number of likely job losses or even the location of the authority's headquarters.

Mr Wilson, who is chair of the education committee, warned today that it could be April 2009 before the ESA is established.

"I understand that the deadline could have slipped by more than a year and I am not surprised," he said.

"This is going to create more confusion and will prolong the agony for people who are concerned about their jobs. It could also mean that major decisions which need to be taken on school closures may also be put on hold."

Seamus Searson, from the NASUWT teaching union, said there was the risk that no major decisions will be taken until the ESA is established.

"Area-based planning needs to start quickly and we also need to sort out what will replace the 11-plus," he said.