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Why 'one-size-fits-all' schools will not work
Changes to Northern Ireland's education system must be managed effectively. But all-ability secondary schools won't provide the answer, argues Billy Young
Monday, 1 March 2010
Dr Walker, at the start of his article, outlines his career as one spent in educational testing, assessment and research.
He notes that it did not surprise him when research by Professor Gardner and Dr Cowan demonstrated major reliability problems in the 11-plus.
This begs the question as to why, given his extensive experience, he did not realise that anything was wrong. One way of ensuring the demise of the 11-Plus was for it to drift on with its deficiencies and the accompanying effects on the children's results. I would have thought that his care for children would have motivated him to do something about it.
Secondly, Dr Walker speaks about how highly the Scottish education system is regarded within that country. This seems at odds with concerns expressed about a number of the schools there; indeed, it also is at odds with the growing numbers seeking independent education where, for example, in order to escape the state sector in Edinburgh up to 25% of children are educated in public schools, 15% in Glasgow and 20% in Perth.
Dr Walker refers to grammar schools suffering from their dependence on the unreliable and shifting foundation of selection.
As one who was involved with AQE in this year's Common Entrance Assessment, I do not agree with his comments: AQE spent a lot of time in the preparation of this year's assessments, made a number of improvements and took on board the recommendations of Gardner and Cowan. We judge that our assessments were of a high standard in terms of reliability and of validity and shall issue evidence of this in time.
Reference is made to the myths of our system being superior to the rest of the UK in terms of our results and in terms of the number of children from lower-income families who get to university.
Figures produced by DENI and other bodies consistently show that Northern Ireland's schools out-perform these in the rest of the United Kingdom. I shall be very interested to see from his work how these facts are described as myths.
I should add, at this point, the often forgotten element in this equation: the strength of Northern Ireland's education system depends not just on excellent grammar schools, but also upon excellent secondary schools. AQE believes that this differentiated system delivers for our children.
Nor is AQE against comprehensive schools, of which there are excellent examples here; rather, we oppose the imposition of this system upon the province.
Dr Walker's preference for all-ability schools also seems to fly in the face of all the evidence. In England and Wales, we see the demise of educational standards.
Here almost 90% of parents are happy with the choice of their post-primary school; the same cannot be said of the postcode lotteries which exist in England.
Highly regarded research by Richard Green of the University of Oxford demonstrates that comprehensive education has been powerless to enhance social mobility. A study of transfer in the Republic of Ireland by Maeve O'Brien produced similar conclusions.
In addition, a recent report comparing social mobility in the United Kingdom and a range of other developing countries, supported by the Sutton Trust, confirms that social mobility has declined since the introduction of a comprehensive system in Great Britain.
The article states that there is the thread of a model argument running through Dr Walker's book. "Those who support selection justify it by claims about results. Even if these claims could be shown to have some merit, that is not sufficient because ends alone do not justify means." He goes on to refer to the stress, trauma and suffering of the children.
The advantage of our differentiable system is that it provides appropriate pathways for children at that stage of their education.
The pace, at grammar and secondary, matches the development of the children and this is one of the reasons why a higher proportion of children from disadvantaged areas of Northern Ireland get to university than anywhere else in these islands.
Extremes of stress and trauma may be seen in the comprehensive systems elsewhere in the UK, where children are not being challenged and standards of behaviour are unacceptable.
The other, often ignored, element in all of this is the will of the people in Northern Ireland.
From the Household Response form and in a recent poll, almost two-thirds of the population have consistently stated that they favour academic selection. If the people did not want selection I, for one, would not now be involved in preserving it.
Important issues, for which AQE has always stood, which may be covered in Dr Walker's book are: much more financial support for primary schools to create smaller class sizes; a curriculum which will stretch our children; more being done to encourage technical education for those young people with practical gifts; more recognition of the success of secondary schools and more freedom for them to develop their sixth forms where appropriate.
The one area where I agree with Dr Walker is the need to manage change from the top effectively.
The sinking sands, however, are not to be found under the grammar schools, but under Dr Walker's proposals for a system of one-size-fits-all, all-ability schools and statements which appear to ignore both facts and evidence.
- Text Size
Ronnie,
The fact that some grammer schools accept D grades compared to A grades is not down to the area that they are in. It is down to the schools decision. Some grammer schools decide to stream their classes, and therefore have lower entry requirements, eq Wellington, Lagan College (Has an Upper stream Grammer class). Where as others, eq OLSPCK, Methody, Aquinas, only accept A grades followed by B grades if places are available.
And any parent that sends their child to a grammer school with a D grade (without a mitigating circumatance) is only setting them up to possibly spend their time struggling.
And im sorry but the argument that working class children are disadvantaged by acedemic selection is balderdash. They are disadvantaged by the selfish parents that dont enforce a respect for school and education in the child. And the attitude of the children they grow up with, who bully the smarter children in their class. The blame lies at the feet of uncaring parents.
Posted by mc | 02.03.10, 11:40 GMT
Oh by the way Billy, Maeve O'Briens work does not support what you say it does!
"We hope to argue that the school choice process,…is only one step in a series ...... girls face a complex web of emotional, social and academic transitions that shape … their social class and gendered identities. While transition to second level is a highly significant move for all groups, it is especially challenging for groups of working-class girls who experience emotional pain and loss in leaving their familiar and familial primary schools."
Hardly a critique of comprehensive education!
Can't find Richard Green's work yet.
Posted by Exasperated | 01.03.10, 22:44 GMT
John and Billy both appear either NOT to have read Dr Walker's book or failed to understand his data, analysis and conclusion.
The idea of 'parental choice' is a fallacy. Even if your child achieves an A equivalent (whatever the heck that is supposed to be) in an AQE or GL test, they still cannot chose which school the will attend.
Nope the truth is the institution 'selects' them! Parents can only express a preference; it is the school that picks who they are prepared to teach. If you don't get a 'top grade' or if you didn't jump through the hoops your local 'grammar' school set up you have NO choice.
George LOVE your concern for those disadvantaged by our system, am confused how maintaining the status quo will redress these 'injustices of the socially disadvantaged'????
Posted by Exasperated | 01.03.10, 22:28 GMT
Fascinating to know where Dr Walker's children - if he has any- are educated!
Posted by Alan | 01.03.10, 21:41 GMT
As a Scotsman living in Belfast I realise I come from a different education system than the locals. I am very proud of the education system Scotland has independently maintained for over 300 years. To suggest this education is failing, to suit your own views is an injustice. Yes, independant schools are popular in Edinburgh, rural Perthshire and Glasgow, but they always have been, including when Scotland also had a grammer school system. I am currently writing up a PhD in chemistry, and out of all the PhD students from Scotland in my year, the year above, and the year below, only one went to private school. My school covered a deprived area yet there were a large number of students who went to university, and many of those who didnt are still doing well in life. The need to continue with state funded elitism is outdated, smart kids will get to uni at a comprehensive and do well. Please do your research properly before knocking Scotland and its fantastic education system.
Posted by Niall | 01.03.10, 21:02 GMT
Billy Young is happy to use stastics that he can not prove and does not even attemt to verify as regards sources.His use of numbers attending private schools in Scotland ie "up to" 25% in Edinburgh is typical.Does that mean 5% or 15% or what.This is typical of the Grammar school smokescreen that is used to defend their own vested middle class interests.To say that 90% of parents are happy with their childs school does not mean their are happy with the system.If he is happy to quote numbers maybe he should campaign for referendum to see what people really think.Too dangerous Billy? One topic left out of his argument is Open Enrolment.If Grammar Schools value academic selection so highly why do they support a system that allows Grammar Schools to accept pupils with grades B,C and D so that they can maintain numbers at the expense of High Schools .In some areas pupils are admitted to Grammar Schools with D grades while in others B grades are turned away. A fair system?
Posted by ronnie | 01.03.10, 20:33 GMT
Some facts from The Sutton Trust:
Percentage of students achieving 3 or more A levels, grade A ( 2005/06) in England and Wales
Fee-paying private schools ( 29%), Grammar ( 23%), Comprehensive (7%), All state (9%), Sixth Form Colleges (8%) Miscellaneous 24%).
Under the present Labour government upward economic and social mobility has ground to a halt Aware of this Tony Blair, Kevin Mc Namara, Diane Abbot, Harriet Harman et alios all educated their children at expensive Public schools. Last year with 75000 children eligible for free school meals only 189 got 3 A grades at A level whereas Eton College alone had 175 boys. It is the widening gap between the rich and poor in the UK which causes inequality and enforced comprehensivization in N Ireland will contribute even more to the injustices of the socially disadvantaged.
Posted by George | 01.03.10, 15:08 GMT
Billy Young has put his finger on a fatal flaw in the anti academic selection argument. It is designed to remove choice from the members of the pubic and put it in the hands of the state employees who run education. People like Dr Alastair Walker are saying we will decide for you what kind of schooling your child may have. By removing academic section those who believe in it will no longer have the freedom to make that choice.
Contrast this with Billy Young’s admirable position of pluralism in education when he supports the right of those who do not believe in selective education to choose comprehensive schooling.
Posted by John | 01.03.10, 11:20 GMT