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School transfer system will favour Catholics, says report
Monday, 13 April 2009
enlargeCaitriona Ruane’s preferred system of school transfer for 2010 favours Catholic pupils over Protestant children when it comes to getting into oversubscribed schools, it has emerged.
An Equality Impact Assessment of her proposed school admissions guidance — Transfer 2010 — states that the first criterion recommended by the Education Minister for use by all schools gives an advantage to Catholic children.
The Education Minister wants all schools to use Free School Meals Entitlement (FSME) as their first criterion and calls on no school to use academic selection. Schools could then choose from a menu of other criteria, including feeder primary, sibling, eldest child, parish, catchment area, nearest suitable school and random selection.
Ms Ruane would like over-subscribed schools to admit FSME applicants first in proportion to the number of first preference FSME application received. For example, if 30% of first preference applications come from FSME children, 30% of the Year 8 places should go to children receiving free meals.
The equality assessment document — which appeared quietly on the Department of Education’s website on Friday — states that 62% (2,584) of the FSME children currently in P6 are Catholic and only 29% (1,194) are Protestant. Of the total P6 cohort, 50% of the children are Catholic and 39% Protestant.
Children quality for free school meals if their parents/guardians are in receipt of benefits. It is known that Protestant families have a lower take-up rate than Catholics.
In relation to this issue, the assessment report states: “There would appear to be a differential impact that adversely affects Protestant children.”
However, it adds: “It needs to be remembered that the overarching policy objective is to address the socio-economic inequalities in the current system.”
Ulster Unionist education spokesman Basil McCrea said free school meals was “never a good measurement to use” and the figures from the department’s own report “now prove this”.
“We should not be playing politics with our children,” Mr McCrea said. “I think putting out the equality assessment report out on Good Friday during a holiday period shows that the Minister is losing confidence in her own proposals.
“The last thing we wanted to see developing was a Catholic test and a Protestant test.
“However, I don’t think the Minister will back down and the schools setting tests are planning a single test for 2010. Northern Ireland wants to move on so we will just move on without the Minister.”
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82 Comments
Your socalled PUBLIC SCHOOLS whould be called PRIVATE SCHOOLS in the USA account they TEACH RELIGION in them. In the USA, a public school is for all and without religion. The USA is a country with the SEPERATION of church & state by a goverment OF THE PEOPLE,FOR THE PEOPLE, AND BY THE PEOPLE. We all have the right of any religious believe just so that we do not force it on another. We also have freedom of speech with the cost of tax. Thoes that file TAX EXAMPT like churches MUST comply with the I.R.S. tax exampt rules which will limit their freedom of speech to a degree. If they fail to comply with these I.R.S. rules and file tax exampt, they are stealing by not paying their just tax as well as violateing their own rules.
Posted by phl | 19.04.09, 16:46 GMT
Shouldn't the most important criteria of eligibility for the best schools be 'school attendance'. There is very little point in having a good system that cannot rely upon the cooperation of parents and children.
Posted by Malachy McAnespie | 19.04.09, 16:27 GMT
Free school meals to dictate a child's admission to second level education!? How about hair colour or blood group? Maybe we should measure the distance between their eyes? Perhaps if parents spent less on fags, booze and scratch cards.............................yawn!
Posted by Paul | 19.04.09, 00:03 GMT
The Gods first make them mad: The first priority of FSME children is Free School Meals. The desire for Education is possibly secondary, unless you are the children of a Minister.
Posted by Malachy McAnespie | 18.04.09, 18:47 GMT
Now there's a shock eh? Sinn Fein preferring their own - whatever next? And, Stuart....spot on my friend. No government support for parochial schools. Religious apartheid is part of the problem, not the solution.
Posted by Bill | 18.04.09, 16:11 GMT
I live in America, and love that we can send our kids to the school we want. If we want them to go to Catholic school, we pay tuition fees and if we want to send them to go to state school, its free, in other words, my taxes pay for it. We also have a choice of other schools in our area, some with religious affiliation, and plenty without. What needs to be considered is... Why does the government support (with all tax payers money) any specific religious school system at all?
Posted by Stuart | 18.04.09, 05:48 GMT
spud
"I admit it, it's all true, we are out to get you."
Thank you for being so honest.
Posted by John McMahon | 17.04.09, 15:43 GMT
Good one spud, I'm assuming it's a handlebar you're gently teasing?!?!?!
Now, back to the real issue .... (Removes oversized cigar from between lips). What other diabolical plans can we come up with to take over the world???
Mwhahaha!!!!!
Posted by Bren | 16.04.09, 18:20 GMT
I'm surprised at you spud, mocking the afflicted like that.
Paranoia is a perfectly treatable mental illness now all he has to do is keep taking the medication.
Posted by sheila | 16.04.09, 17:24 GMT
John McM - I admit it, it's all true, we are out to get you.
And then it'll be all those defenceless catholic children ... (teases waxed moustache)
PS You are obviously barking
Posted by spud | 16.04.09, 15:18 GMT
if this new set of rules comes in then surely there is no place for grammer schools as is the case already in England.
Posted by Brian | 16.04.09, 13:35 GMT
Sheila
"he has very successfully demonstrated why single faith should be abolished in a timely fashion."
YOUR posts have demonstrated why Protestants should not be allowed to have power over defenceless Catholic children.
When will you apologise for telling anti-Catholic lies?
Posted by John McMahon | 16.04.09, 12:45 GMT
I know he is spud and he has very successfully demonstrated why single faith should be abolished in a timely fashion.
Back on subject, the ministers own department have published the figures which show the flaws in admissions by benefit entitlement. Her inability to come up with any workable model should result in her demise sooner rather than later.
I hope academic selection stays and that our children continue to out perform their counterparts on the mainland.
Posted by sheila | 16.04.09, 11:29 GMT
spud
"let the children learn and play together"
Only if their parents want it. Can you guarantee that, in an integrated system, Catholics would get fair play? Have you forgotten what the Fair Employment Agency found about Queen's University?
"Sheila, let it go, the man's a small-minded bigot."
If being opposed to an increase in Protestant tyranny makes one a small-minded bigot, I most certainly am one and intend to continue being one. If integrated education is such a wonderful thing, why do so many people feel a need to compel Catholics to take part in it? I am suspicious.
Posted by John McMahon | 16.04.09, 11:22 GMT
"Your attitude ("weaker pupils" dragging down "the standards of our academics") reveals a real problem;"
- Simply not true. My single goal is to help every pupil achieve all that they can. Post primary schools are not equipped to provide such an ability range. I spend more time with my bottom groups than I do my top groups. I want all my pupils to succeed - those who are weaker and those who are academically gifted.
Exasp - What criterion are you using to differentiate work? Ability or free meals? It's interesting that your out of context quotes have changed the tone of my caring comments in my previous post.
Posted by Primary Teacher | 16.04.09, 11:09 GMT
Exasperated -
"Differentiated learning groups within the same institution." –
Schools are not resourced to do this. Where are you getting your money from? Real world?
"There is no educational necessity to separate children at 10 or 11." -
The best current practice is to group pupils into ability groups, as is done (reading, spelling, Maths groups etc.), and teach accordingly. Why provide a child with a book that they simply can’t read? Exceptionally cruel and demoralising.
Posted by Primary Teacher | 16.04.09, 11:06 GMT
We should all unit against Ms Ruane instead of nit picking at each other. Is there any petition everyone could sign to have her removed, surely if there were enough signatures it could not be ignored?
Posted by Concerned Parent | 16.04.09, 10:30 GMT
John McMahon, you really are a happy-go-lucky type of guy. Bet you've got lots of friends and, by pure coincidence, you all agree on everything.
For God's sake let the children learn and play together without the bigotry that contributed to the mess that we have lived through over the past 40 years. This doesn't mean we have to employ the NICIE model of integrated education which emphasises differences.
Sheila - let it go, the man's a small-minded bigot.
Posted by spud | 16.04.09, 10:08 GMT
Little wonder things are bad on the Education front when Catriona can scrap one system without another workable system in place and we as parents engage in a war of words with each other! Whether you are for or against academic selection all of our children do not now have an equitable system of transfer. Lets hope you are all using this same energy to respond to the Ministers guidance notes!!!!
Posted by Dismayed P6 Parent | 16.04.09, 10:05 GMT
Sheila
Stop trying to bully Catholics into accepting integrated education. Stop trying to incite the government into using finanacial pressure to bully Catholics into accepting integrated education.
And stop telling lies. Catholics ARE being discriminated against in education. The Protestant churches have a statutory right to appoint half the voting governors of every State school - a right not enjoyed by the Catholic church. You obviously see State property as Protestant property.
Posted by John McMahon | 16.04.09, 09:54 GMT
82 Comments