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Boy told he should travel 90 miles each day to school
Saturday, 29 August 2009
An angry Co Londonderry father has hit out after it emerged his son could be travelling 90 miles a day to and from school by taxi next week if the family takes up an offer by the local education board.
Terry McIvar and his wife Fidelma from Garvagh explained that their son Jack (11), who is ready to start secondary school, had been left unsure of his future after being turned down for admission by his three preferred schools — Loreto College in Coleraine, St Patrick’s in Maghera and St Paul’s in Kilrea.
“The alternatives we were offered included Larne which is 45 miles away, Ballycastle which is 32 miles and Portglenone which is 18 miles,” said Mr McIvar.
“The North Eastern Education and Library Board (NEELB) has offered to taxi him to Larne which is a 90-mile round trip, but we want him closer to home — not having to travel halfway across Northern Ireland away from family and friends for his education.
“It would be funny if it wasn’t so serious.
“Time is running out. The new school term starts next Tuesday and we don’t know where we stand.”
Jack’s 11-plus grade from St Patrick’s and St Joseph’s Primary School in Garvagh wasn’t high enough for him to attend Loreto, although the family had hoped he was make it on the ‘siblings’ clause, as his two sisters and brother made it to the prestigious college.
Karen (19) has moved on to Queen’s University where she is studying pharmacy, Sarah (18) is doing her A-levels next year and James (16) is entering the GCSE stage.
“Jack gained a grade D,” said his father. “But his grandad died recently and that really upset and affected him during the test.”
In the case of St Patrick, Maghera, said Mr McIvar, his son was turned down on the ‘no siblings here’ rule “and he was too young to make it to St Paul’s, Kilrea”.
“We appealed the St Patrick’s ruling, but it was rejected and now we’re taking the fight to the Department of Education in Bangor,” said Mr McIvar. “It’s our last hope, and we’ll tell them about all the money they’ll save by not having to put a taxi on the road to Larne. The school bus to Coleraine stops a few yards from our home.”
A spokesman for the NEELB said they could not comment on individuals cases and the transfer officer was not available to make a comment. A statement from the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools (CCMS) said: “We cannot comment on individual cases. Schools have admissions criteria that are applied when a school is over-subscribed.
“The admissions number is set by the Department of Education and the board of governors must apply criteria to select the relevant number for admission.”
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@ Steven73, Liz below has already answered your first question, over 3 miles and the authorities have to provide transport so the 2 Loreto children are on a bus already & so will the other one if the parents choose Portglenone.
But clearly you've a thing about the free school meals being used as a measure of poverty. My opinion is that resources should be allocated to those with least and using free school meals is as good a system as any. You might not like it because (I assume) you feel squeezed on both sides, not rich enough to be really comfortable, not poor enough to receive benefit. That's my own situation too but I'm glad my taxes go to help people less fortunate than myself. Better than giving it to the corrupt bankers, that's happened a lot recently.
As you say yourself you are being selfish and I would add melodramatic. The simple solution, distance from house to school as the deciding factor & schools with high levels of free school meal children get more money.
Posted by Farrah | 01.09.09, 10:30 GMT
What's wrong with the Portglenone option??... its only 18 miles there are people attending loreto from much further away than that...
Do your son a service instead of trying to push him into a school he may be unsuited for in any case.
Posted by G Shane | 31.08.09, 00:28 GMT
"i should sue Catriona Ruane for putting my Daughter (as a protestant) at an unfair disadvantage and taking away my rights to parental choice!"
This comment says everything. If schools continue to be divided along religious lines, much like schools in the southern US were divided along racial lines, it will be a long time indeed before real reconciliation is achieved.
Posted by Serge M | 30.08.09, 21:17 GMT
The problem I have with this Farrah is that even if the boy went to Portglenone, his brother and sister both already attend Loreto, so do his parents have to take on the responsibility of traveling to two different schools to collect there kids?
But that's not what really bothers me, it's the fact that Sinn Fein have introduced a policy that the first 30% of kids are guaranteed a place at the school of their choice based on their entitlement for free school dinners; nothing to do with grades, where you live, your closest school, siblings already attending the school, no, simply your entitlement to free school meals, and as a hard working parent I think that is scandalous!
Maybe I'm just selfish and shouldn't expect to be treated equality in society, I should just go quietly and accept my punishment for working and paying my taxes.
Posted by Steven73 | 30.08.09, 18:25 GMT
This boy has been messed around because of the 11plus system and the ability of these schools to refuse a place to whoever they deem unfit! That's the problem with the system here. We should be sending kids to the school closest to them.
Apart from that what was wrong with the Portglenone option? It's as close to Garvagh as Coleraine. It wouldn't be as good a story though, boy offered place in school within a half hour of where he lives.....
Posted by Farrah | 30.08.09, 11:27 GMT
The comment posted by 'Parental Alliance for Choice in Education' is totally right. I live in Antrim and was discussing this issue with my mum just today after reading this story and i said to her that i felt i should sue Catriona Ruane for putting my Daughter (as a protestant) at an unfair disadvantage and taking away my rights to parental choice! Considering 10 years ago when Antrim was a lot smaller town there were 3 High Schools, a Catholic High School and a Grammar school yet the town has rapidly expanded and the only catholic high school has been demolished and 2 of the high schools closed down. I really dont know where all the kids coming up through Primary school now are going to attend.
Posted by J | 30.08.09, 00:11 GMT
Why doesn't the kid go to Portglenone? The article makes it seem as if going to Larne is the only choice.
Posted by Julia B | 29.08.09, 21:29 GMT
If ccms does not offer enough provision in the maintained sector for pupils in this geographical area who obtain a D grade, then why do the parents not seek a place in another sector ie intergrated.? Dont blame the education boards, the maintained sector is not in their area of responsibility and they are required to provide transport if the nearest avaible school is more than 3 miles from the home address- the education boards don't make the rules, they only administer them. The home to school transport policy comes from deni
Posted by liz glengormley | 29.08.09, 20:13 GMT
Who needs the Education Boards? They can home educate instead. Its great!
Posted by Home educator | 29.08.09, 18:39 GMT
one morning last year i was at a bus stop along with other adults plus 13 schoolchildren, both sexes. the 13 pupils had between them seven.........yes 7...........different uniforms......sex and religion have a lot to answer for in ulster education.
Posted by willeric | 29.08.09, 18:07 GMT
why did the family not put down their nearest secondary???
Posted by parent | 29.08.09, 16:51 GMT
Schools in Northern Ireland can turn students down for secondary school? What kind of an education system do you have up there? In the south it isn't perfect but I've never heard of anything like this. Strange place NI is.
Posted by Serge M | 29.08.09, 14:54 GMT
SO this is what our education system has come to?? ........ and then what happens now they no longer have the transfer test??? It would probably be just slightly more expensive to privately tutor this boy at home!!
Posted by Nee-Naw | 29.08.09, 14:07 GMT
Just a thought, why not send him to a state school then if he cannot gain entry into a catholic maintained school close by, would it really be such a crime ??
Posted by Sean | 29.08.09, 13:55 GMT
This is disgraceful, good luck to this family and i hope they are able to sort this issue out before term starts.
Posted by Unionist | 29.08.09, 13:48 GMT
Is this because the parents of a child with a grade D in the transfer test want him to go to a grammar school?
Given the numbers of empty desks in schools across Norther Ireland, I cannot believe that there are no secondary school places locally.
If so perhaps the Tele should make this clear to avoid entirely justifiable accusations of misleading readers.
Posted by perplexed | 29.08.09, 12:58 GMT
Another example of the madness that is the education system in Ulster. A simple system of students attending their local school ( i.e the nearest to place of residence) could solve a lot of problems, instead of schools picking and choosing which students they are going to enrol. Ah..... the dreaded league tables! I know - too simple.
Posted by bert | 29.08.09, 10:44 GMT
That taxi nonsencs could cost tax payers up to more than £55 a day, almost £300 a week!! Why can't he just go to his nearest secondary school, let him complete his first year, if he performs well then there could be an opportunity for him to transfer to one of his "preferred schools". We already dish out enough money on taxi fairs for all the "pyjama mums" of the day, who insist their kids get brought to school in a taxi, then travel with them and get dropped off at the shops on the way home.
Posted by kay | 29.08.09, 09:35 GMT
I feel sorry for the McIvar's, what a stupid suggestion, sending a kid on a 45 mile taxi journey to school every morning.
There is of course a very simple solution to all of this, Mr & Mrs McIvar simply need to quit their jobs and go on the dole, then the poor kid would gain automatic entry under the guaranteed places for free school meals scheme that Sinn Fein have introduced?
Surely that makes sense, let’s not take into consideration where he lives or the fact his sister and brother are currently attending Loreto College, free school meals should definitely be the defining factor when deciding what school a child goes to.
Ridiculous scenario, get it sorted out Ruane.
Posted by Steven73 | 29.08.09, 08:28 GMT
At least Terry McIvar and his wife had a chance to access schools in their preferred sector. Parents in Antrim have been robbed of a choice for a controlled secondary school entirely thanks to the actions of the NEELB. Parents are turning to home schooling rather than see their children bussed out of Antrim to Ballymena or Belfast every morning. If this so-called education rationalisation by the DENI and Boards is left unchecked more long distance horror stories costing the taxpayer a fortune will occur. As far as the ELBs are concerned its just OPM (other people's money)
Posted by Parental Alliance for Choice in Education | 29.08.09, 08:01 GMT