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System of transfer to secondary school established
Friday, 10 October 2008
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Contrary to the claims by unionist politicians and some sections of the media that there is widespread confusion among parents and teachers about how this year's P6 students will transfer to secondary school in 2010, the Education Minister has clearly outlined to schools how this will take place.
After the last 11-plus is sat by P7 this November, there will be a transition period of three years where schools can apply to be allowed to select a limited and declining proportion of their students on the basis of academic selection before it is completely eradicated in 2013.
During the phase-out period, a new test will be put in place by the Council for Curriculum Examination and Assessment (CCEA) for parents who wish to put their children through an entrance test, but it will not disrupt the curriculum and will not be sat in primary schools. Selection by the 11-plus will be replaced by area-based planning and students will make an informed election of their pathways at the age of 14 and again at 16.
If there is confusion, it has been introduced by the 33 grammar schools that are clinging to an outdated, elitist system.
To push ahead with preparations for a separate test when there is already provision in place for CCEA-designed tests for the three-year transition period is reckless and nonsensical.
I hope that our Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, will aim to minimise the damage this will cause to our children's education by taking action against primary schools that distort the curriculum in order to prepare students for sitting unapproved tests.
Aine McCartan
Downpatrick
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This is a joke, in any other society such an incompetent minister would have had the decency to resign by now.
Posted by Brian | 15.10.08, 15:49 GMT
As a P6 parent I would like to say that there is widespread confusion over the transfer plans for P6 pupils. I fully understand that selection will be phased out and that informed election will take place at 14 but what I and many other parents would like to know - in detail - is
1. What criteria will schools use to select the pupils who are not being selected academically - not just some form of geographical, family or parish criteria but actual criteria.
2. What form will the test take, will there be an opportunity for the children to sit a mock version or do they undertake blind testing?
3 At 14 will my child have to move schools to make an "informed election" and if so how will schools select pupils at this point?
4 What about my year 9 pupil - will this have any effect on her choices at 14 - and will she have to chance schools depending on her "informed election"?
Detailed answers to questions like these would go a long way t displelling the confusion among P6 parents.
Posted by JL | 15.10.08, 13:45 GMT
Sean, why is the 11 plus not "fit for purpose"? The "purpose" of education is to produce intelligent individuals, and as league tables show, Northern Ireland pupils do better in exams than the rest of the UK. So exactly what "purpose" is it not "fit" for?
The purpose of clinging to Marxism is just about the only purpose it isn't fit for, and that is something we should be celebrating.
Posted by David | 13.10.08, 18:28 GMT
Where is the CCEA test? Have they published it? Have they circulated it? Have they actually been asked to prepare it?
The answer to all those questions is "No" and hence Ms McCartan really needs to ask Catriona to produce this test!.
Posted by avril | 13.10.08, 12:00 GMT
If there is confusion, it has been introduced by Caitriona Ruane, who is clinging to an outdated, solicialist dogma.
Posted by Dave | 12.10.08, 20:46 GMT
Perhaps Aine McCartan could ask Caitriona Ruane to deliver her letter promised to parents more than seven months ago instead of acting as an agent for the incompetent minister.
She should also read the research just published by the Sutton Trust on disadvantage which shoots down all her ideological arguments against grammar schools.
Admitting to damaging children's education may invite legal action from parents. Be careful what you wish for Ms McCartan
Posted by parental alliance for choice in education | 12.10.08, 10:32 GMT
I am fully in support of the changes in selection. The 11+ is outdated and is not fit for purpose in 2008. However, I am concerned at the reasons for Ms Ruane not sending her children to a non-selective school where she lives, and instead sends them to a grammar school in Newry. Surely Ms Ruane needs to lead by example.
Posted by Sean | 12.10.08, 10:26 GMT
"Selection by the 11-plus will be replaced by area-based planning and students will make an informed election of their pathways at the age of 14 and again at 16."
WHAT ON EARTH DOES THAT MEAN Ms McCARTEN?!?!?
There is absolutely no practical explainiation of how, when, where.
Posted by Confused | 11.10.08, 15:34 GMT
'Selection by the 11-plus will be replaced by area-based planning and students will make an informed election of their pathways at the age of 14 and again at 16.'
Clear as mud Ms McCartan and don't try to resell us the Sinn Fein lie that only unionists are totally confused. Oh and by the way, you forgot to mention the 3 Catholic Grammars who have dared to defy the Sinn Fein edict banning academic selection. Amazingly they are also in ignoring strong criticism from eccleisiastical big guns like Catholic Bishops Donal McKeown and Bishop of Derry Seamus Hegarty.
P. S. Tell me how exactly would a former tennis player know what's best for our children? Especially when she chose to send her own 2 kids across the border, away from the local non selective comprehensive school to a Newry Grammar school. The message clearly is, I want the choice of a Grammar education for my children but I'm determined to take it away from yours. What a hypocrite!
Posted by T J McClean | 11.10.08, 10:02 GMT
If what Aine states is true then the procedure is definitely unclear.
Also why pick out Unionists, in this letter, since many others, including Catholisc primary school Heads, have voiced their concern in the media?
What is most worrying is the last paragraph which voices undertones of Stalinism!
Posted by robbo | 10.10.08, 20:38 GMT
How is accepting that some pupils are more intelligent than others elitist? It is a fact.
How is it outdated? Do you mean outdated in that nowadays, there is an "everyone's a winner" ideology? I think that ideology's stupid; Marxism is the true outdated system.
Holding the intelligent children back, by abolishing grammar schools... now THAT is unfair.
Posted by David | 10.10.08, 20:04 GMT