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Selection at 14 dismissed by grammars
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
enlargeGrammar school representatives have rejected a proposal from a number of their colleagues to scrap academic selection at 11 and replace it with selection at 14.
The Governing Bodies Association, which represents the province's 52 voluntary grammar schools, met on Friday to discuss a paper by three of its members.
The Belfast Telegraph has already revealed details of the document – which backs the scrapping of a selective test in P7 and instead proposes that selection can take place when it comes to pupils' subject choices at GCSE and A-level. The current 11-plus tests will be sat by pupils for the final time this term.
A statement from the GBA Executive has confirmed its support for an interim system proposal, put to public consideration earlier this year.
This proposal was not ruled out by the Sinn Fein Education Minister and the SDLP – even though it includes academic selection as an option for grammar schools.
The GBA proposed that all post-primary schools define themselves clearly and according to a standardised format – for example: an academic school, an all-ability school or a specialist music school.
Academic schools would be permitted to reject pupils ill-equipped to cope with an explicitly academic environment and cannot accept pupils simply because they have places available.
Transfer would take place at age 11 but pupils could transfer to another type of school at age 14, or any stage.
The GBA said today: “The Executive met on September 5th to discuss current transfer issues.
“We remain open to dialogue with other stakeholders, but the Executive confirms its transfer policy position as set out in the GBA proposals for an interim procedure, as described in the GBA policy issued in February 2008.''
The document informs other GBA members about informal discussions between three men – including former Methodist College principal Wilfred Mulryne - and other educationalists from secondary, integrated and Catholic maintained schools.
Mr Mulryne and the other report authors – John Young (for mer principal of Sullivan Upper) and Kevin Donaghy (principal of St Patrick's Grammar in Armagh) – are members of the GBA's executive committee.
Meetings have also taken place with Caitriona Ruane's special advisor Jackie McMullan and DUP education spokesman Mervyn Storey and were described in the paper as “encouraging”.
The paper states the GBA agreeing to abandon academic selection at age 11 in return for retaining academic selection at age 14 and again at age 16, would create the potential for a wider educational consensus and “offer Sinn Fein a good deal of what it appears to want while not denying the DUP something which it appears to value”.
And: “As far as GBA is concerned, we believe the fundamental question is not whether the changes we referred to are desirable, but recognising that change is unavoidable and deciding what the appropriate strategic response to this change should be.”
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Concerned Parent should contact Tony Gallagher at QUB, the GBA, NICIE or even the AQE. All of these educationalists have floated this trial balloon since it involves the concession of comprehensives from 11 to 14. Parents should avoid groups with a conflict of interest particularly those dominated by teachers and principals. He could become a teacher thus avoiding the difficulty the rest of us face on fair admission criteria. This tactic worked well for teachers on fair employment legislation.
Posted by parental alliance for choice in education | 19.09.08, 10:39 GMT
So are we now saying that our children have to move schools 2 or 3 times...or more?? With 2 children at primary school who will both go through whatever 'new' system someone comes up with I am concerned about the implications this has on the children themselves. Why should they have to change school at 14, just when they have settled into firm friendship groupings?? Apart from that, this propsoal does not appear to solve the problem of over subscription to popular schools when the children transfer at 11!!!!
Posted by Concerned Parent | 10.09.08, 19:58 GMT
"A statement from the GBA Executive has confirmed its support for an interim system proposal, put to public consideration earlier this year. "
Exactly what is this interim system and how was it put to "public consideration"? I received no information for consideration. Are they talking about the AQE alternative to the 11-plus or the CCEA test tied to the end of grammar schools?
I am still waiting for the letter promised by Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane. Should i stop holding my breath?
Posted by Pro Tanto Quid | 10.09.08, 10:08 GMT
Why do Wilfred Mulryne, John Young and Kevin Donaghy of the Governing Bodies Association insist that 'change is unavoidable' for Northern Ireland's excellent grammar schools – especially when reputable opinion polls show only around one in three of the population supports this change?
Since most of England's grammar schools were destroyed thirty or forty years ago, objective standards have plummeted and left England far behind Northern Ireland for exam results and the proportion of youngsters from less-privileged homes who go to university.
Only fools make such change for its own sake without clear evidence that it will produce improvements. Such evidence has never been produced and never will be.
Posted by Nick Seaton | 09.09.08, 15:41 GMT
If we lived in a perfect world, with no deadlines, public and political agreement on the way forward, and an endless supply of money, then school transfer at 14 might work. Many would point to the Dickson Plan in Craigavon as a model for success but it still uses academic selection as a criteria, not acceptable to Education Minister Ruane.
The Dickson Plan involved a limited geographical area and a clearly defined number of schools. It took years to get properly off the ground. Imagine how long it would take for something similar to be rolled out across the Province. Think of the planning, the expenditure, the building program, the disruption and the relocation of pupils, staff and schools. Even if all was completed to everyone’s satisfaction, it would still be anyone’s guess, as to whether the whole 11 to 14 changeover actually made any real difference, to our already high educational performances.
Posted by T.J.McClean | 09.09.08, 13:39 GMT
Where is the omnipresent voice of AQE's Sir Kenneth Bloomfield on this debacle? Bloomfield can choose to wear his GBA hat or open his AQE umbrella but he must make clear where each grammar school stands on the future of academic selection.
It seems most bizarre that a proposal from members of the GBA executive (acting alone?) was rejected by that same executive particularly when the 30+ Catholic schools claim they are opposed to academic selection. Unless one accepts that the GBA represents no school but a group of self-interested old men.
Perhaps Uel McCrea can clear up the contradictory position adopted on selection by secondary schools by confirming that one of the first acts performed at his Ballyclare school, and others, is to test his year 8 pupils on the basis of english and maths in order to stream them? Selection by another name. These people are not fit to run a car boot sale never mind our public education system.
Posted by stephen elliott | 09.09.08, 12:41 GMT