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Monday, 05 October 2009

Ruane attacked over transfers tests

Caitriona Ruane in transfer test row at Stormont

The Education minister has faced calls to take control of the unregulated school transfer system which has left some children facing the prospect of sitting five entrance exams this autumn.

Caitriona Ruane was urged by rival MLAs to accept the fact that thousands of parents want their sons and daughters to take an academic test to achieve a grammar school place.

She was asked to establish a statutory framework for such exams to take place.

In the absence of political agreement on the controversial issue, Ms Ruane has issued guidance to schools that non-academic selection criteria should take the place of the now defunct 11 Plus.

But this proposal has been rejected by almost 70 schools.

Those institutions have opted to ignore the minister's guidance and instead are setting their own entrance papers this year.

While the minister has warned that those tests do not have government backing and could be open to legal challenges, the breakaway schools have received more than 13,000 applications to sit the exams.

'Choice'

On Monday, the Ulster Unionists tabled an Assembly motion demanding that the minister take responsibility for the system and finally concede that academic criteria must play a role in post primary transfer.

"Our fundamental position is that parental choice is the bedrock of all democracy," said UUP Education spokesman Basil McCrea.

"We do not like the inequity of having our children do five separate tests, for those that wanted to get rid of the 11 Plus they seem to have ended up with two - that can't be the way forward."

"For those that want to keep it, they need a regulated system. This motion helps do that and I urge all members present to support the motion of the UUP."

The Alliance Party recommended that the minister set up a regulated test for 12 months starting next year - to enable more time to find a political solution to the transfer impasse.

But the minister refused to change her stance, telling the Assembly that the proposals represented a return to a system of inequality.

"Let me be absolutely clear and unambiguous, the 11 Plus is gone, the 11 Plus is not coming back in any shape or form," she said.

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4 Comments

At 12:35 on 06 October 2009, Steven - Edinburgh wrote:

No parent wants their child to go through the stress of an 11+ exam - let alone 5 exams. Therefore, the principle of no exam and children going to their closest school (like the system in England) makes most sense. Problem is, this system can't get passed without the express consent of the Education Committee, who Mervyn Storey chairs - and he won't talk to Ruane. He won't even discuss her proposal, he just says no. Perhaps this is because it is a Sinn Fein proposal and he doesn't want to co-operate. I really don't know, but he should answer the questions so we don't have to speculate. I don't really like Ruane either, but I do want to see better educational attainment on the Shankill Road where only 10 kids a year pass the 11+, and labellings them from that age can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Kids should go to their nearest schools, and those schools should be secular (except for RE class) and properly funded to help all kids equally. What's wrong with that DUP?

At 02:08 on 06 October 2009, Jo wrote:

Of course there has to be some form of academic selection and many parents and schools are keen for this to happen. The N Ireland school system has consistently proved its superiority to that of the rest of the UK in terms of results at GCSE and A Level, something about which our teachers, pupils and parents can be very proud. Pretending that all children have equal academic ability is very foolish and the only people to suffer will be the children themselves. By all means give more help and support to the less academic children, but on no account change a system that has proved its worth over many years. And I'm sorry to say this, but Mrs Ruane sounds downright discourteous and bullying when she says what SHE wants. I've news for you, Mrs Ruane - YOUR wants aren't what's important, it's what the children NEED that's important. You have no right to dismantle a system simply because it doesn't fit your ideology; children are more important than any government minister.

At 18:01 on 05 October 2009, lorna wrote:

I wonder who Mrs Ruane thinks she is talking to, to me it is like a parent saying "because i say so" to a child. But it is adults trying to explain how wrong she is in her approach. Who talked about the Unionists having the same attitude. She has to remember the people who did not vote her into that office. Our children 11 years old are made to suffer because of her boldness and I think that is a shame.

At 17:20 on 05 October 2009, T J McClean wrote:

'I did it my way.'