She also ignores the reality (as demonstrated consistently in opinion polls) that parents, while unhappy with the 11-plus, want some form of selection other than the post code lottery being proposed by the Minister.

No doubt those living close to good schools were reassured to learn, from one of our local TV news programmes, that they had been spared the worst effects of the present property slump — the Ruane effect?

As for cllr O'Hara's claim that 'in west Belfast too many young people leave school at 11, having been branded as failures', the truth is that too many are leaving our inner city primary schools unable to adequately read, write or count, yet we are told they are only 'branded as failures' because of an exam, the 11-plus.

Rather than waste millions of pounds of public money attempting to re-organise our successful post-primary sector in the face of overwhelming opposition, the Minister should concentrate on helping these inner city primary schools, giving them the extra help they are calling out for, or is it a case of old fashioned socialist dogma coming before the interests of our children?

Time will tell.

A S

Drumbo