11-Plus Proposal

[Tony Baloney]

I cannot believe i am tying this.  I actually agree with Peter Robinson

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-11555984

Robinson slams education system 'apartheid'

Peter Robinson called the Northern Ireland education system "a benign form of apartheid" The First Minister has described the Northern Ireland education system as a "benign form of apartheid".

In a speech on Friday, Peter Robinson said the current system, where Catholics and Protestants are usually educated separately, must change.

He said that he wanted to set up a commission to look at the total integration of the different sectors.

He compared the system to South Africa during apartheid where black and white children were educated separately.

BBC NI education correspondent Maggie Taggart said the speech was likely to provoke controversy.

In an apparent reference to Catholic schools, he said he had no objection to church schools but he did object to the state paying for them.

"It may take ten years or longer to address this problem, which dates back many decades, but the real crime would be to accept the status quo for the sake of a quiet life," he said.

"The benefits of such a system are not merely financial but could play a transformative role in changing society in Northern Ireland."

He added that there were a number of "knotty issues" such as "religious education, school assembly devotions and the curriculum".

"Future generations will not thank us if we fail to address this issue," the DUP leader said.

It would be difficult to dislodge "vested interests", he said, but was "convinced" that it should be done.

Our correspondent said that the DUP position has been that the state - or controlled - sector was non-denominational and could be used by those of all religions and none.

She added that Mr Robinson was proposing a single education system, rather than enlarging the integrated system which he did not believe would create the critical mass needed to make a real difference.

It'll never happen as they'd have to sack hundreds of teachers.

[omagh_gael]

I was the first person in Omagh to complete integrated education from primary school to 7th in secondary school. I couldn't recommend it enough, I honestly don't think I'd be the same person or hold the same views now if I had attended an exclusively catholic school.

[Minder]

Segregation is big business in the North so I can't see it happening for many years.

[FermGael]

I see in todays Irish news that Loreto Convent in Coleraine will be dropping Academic selection.
They become the first of the Catholic Grammars to break rank and accept the inevitable.
The article also says that other Catholic Grammars will be doing the same as well.

Could it be that the fear of intergrated education is forcing there hand??

[FermGael]

Interesting.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/three-catholic-grammar-schools-vow-to-bin-academic-selection-16178964.html

Three Catholic grammar schools vow to bin academic selection

By Lindsay Fergus
Friday, 29 June 2012



Three Catholic grammar schools in Northern Ireland have backed plans by the Church's bishops to phase out academic selection at the age of 11.

They are Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry; Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar and St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.

The trio — under the stewardship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust — are the first grammar schools to throw their weight behind the bishops' June 21 call to gradually end selection.

Under the plans signed by the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady (below left), Catholic grammar schools are being asked to admit at least one in four pupils without having to sit the Post Primary Transfer Consortium's GL Assessment test.

Loreto College in Coleraine is the only Catholic grammar school to have abandoned academic selection so far.

But yesterday's endorsement by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust will put pressure on the other 24 Catholic grammar schools who have signed up for a new year of GL tests to follow suit — particularly as bishops who endorsed the plans are on the boards of governors of many of the schools.

They include bishops Noel Treanor, Liam McDaid, John McAreavey, Leo O'Reilly, Monsignor Eamon Martin and auxillary bishops Gerard Clifford, Anthony Farquhar and Donal McKeown.

In a statement, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust said it is "fully supportive of the policy of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) that academic selection at 11 years of age be phased out over a limited period, with appropriate evaluation and monitoring of the impact as the process moves forward".

It continued: "We welcome the statement of the Northern Catholic Bishops setting out clearly their collective stance in relation to the ending of academic selection at this early age.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees have recognised the concerns expressed by governors of grammar schools about the implementation of the policy, and we believe that the latest NICCE proposal is a reasonable response to these concerns.

"Specifically, we support the proposal that all grammar schools move away from the use of academic selection for 100% of enrolments to a maximum of 75% of enrolments in time for the school intakes in 2014.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees will work with school governors and with other trustees in each local area to facilitate this first phase of transition."

Factfile

The Catholic grammar schools that have supported bishops' plans to phase out academic selection at 11 are:

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry.
Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar.
St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.
Loreto College, Coleraine

[oakleafgael]

Its a scramble for numbers, nothing more nothing less.

[glens abu]

Interesting.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/three-catholic-grammar-schools-vow-to-bin-academic-selection-16178964.html

Three Catholic grammar schools vow to bin academic selection

By Lindsay Fergus
Friday, 29 June 2012



Three Catholic grammar schools in Northern Ireland have backed plans by the Church's bishops to phase out academic selection at the age of 11.

They are Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry; Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar and St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.

The trio — under the stewardship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust — are the first grammar schools to throw their weight behind the bishops' June 21 call to gradually end selection.

Under the plans signed by the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady (below left), Catholic grammar schools are being asked to admit at least one in four pupils without having to sit the Post Primary Transfer Consortium's GL Assessment test.

Loreto College in Coleraine is the only Catholic grammar school to have abandoned academic selection so far.

But yesterday's endorsement by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust will put pressure on the other 24 Catholic grammar schools who have signed up for a new year of GL tests to follow suit — particularly as bishops who endorsed the plans are on the boards of governors of many of the schools.

They include bishops Noel Treanor, Liam McDaid, John McAreavey, Leo O'Reilly, Monsignor Eamon Martin and auxillary bishops Gerard Clifford, Anthony Farquhar and Donal McKeown.

In a statement, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust said it is "fully supportive of the policy of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) that academic selection at 11 years of age be phased out over a limited period, with appropriate evaluation and monitoring of the impact as the process moves forward".

It continued: "We welcome the statement of the Northern Catholic Bishops setting out clearly their collective stance in relation to the ending of academic selection at this early age.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees have recognised the concerns expressed by governors of grammar schools about the implementation of the policy, and we believe that the latest NICCE proposal is a reasonable response to these concerns.

"Specifically, we support the proposal that all grammar schools move away from the use of academic selection for 100% of enrolments to a maximum of 75% of enrolments in time for the school intakes in 2014.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees will work with school governors and with other trustees in each local area to facilitate this first phase of transition."

Factfile

The Catholic grammar schools that have supported bishops' plans to phase out academic selection at 11 are:

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry.
Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar.
St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.
Loreto College, Coleraine

About time.

[Lazer]

You can't scrap academic selection yet.

The one thting that is needed before scraping it is a good alternative, which we don't seem to have.

[LeoMc]

Paging Take Your Points. Take Your Points to this thread please! 

Too busy hiding the silver in preparation for the great unwashed or perhaps developing a non-academic entrance test based around footballing ability. 

[saffron sam2]

Interesting.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/three-catholic-grammar-schools-vow-to-bin-academic-selection-16178964.html

Three Catholic grammar schools vow to bin academic selection

By Lindsay Fergus
Friday, 29 June 2012



Three Catholic grammar schools in Northern Ireland have backed plans by the Church's bishops to phase out academic selection at the age of 11.

They are Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry; Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar and St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.

The trio — under the stewardship of the Edmund Rice Schools Trust — are the first grammar schools to throw their weight behind the bishops' June 21 call to gradually end selection.

Under the plans signed by the head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady (below left), Catholic grammar schools are being asked to admit at least one in four pupils without having to sit the Post Primary Transfer Consortium's GL Assessment test.

Loreto College in Coleraine is the only Catholic grammar school to have abandoned academic selection so far.

But yesterday's endorsement by the Edmund Rice Schools Trust will put pressure on the other 24 Catholic grammar schools who have signed up for a new year of GL tests to follow suit — particularly as bishops who endorsed the plans are on the boards of governors of many of the schools.

They include bishops Noel Treanor, Liam McDaid, John McAreavey, Leo O'Reilly, Monsignor Eamon Martin and auxillary bishops Gerard Clifford, Anthony Farquhar and Donal McKeown.

In a statement, the Edmund Rice Schools Trust said it is "fully supportive of the policy of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) that academic selection at 11 years of age be phased out over a limited period, with appropriate evaluation and monitoring of the impact as the process moves forward".

It continued: "We welcome the statement of the Northern Catholic Bishops setting out clearly their collective stance in relation to the ending of academic selection at this early age.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees have recognised the concerns expressed by governors of grammar schools about the implementation of the policy, and we believe that the latest NICCE proposal is a reasonable response to these concerns.

"Specifically, we support the proposal that all grammar schools move away from the use of academic selection for 100% of enrolments to a maximum of 75% of enrolments in time for the school intakes in 2014.

"The Edmund Rice Trustees will work with school governors and with other trustees in each local area to facilitate this first phase of transition."

Factfile

The Catholic grammar schools that have supported bishops' plans to phase out academic selection at 11 are:

Abbey Christian Brothers Grammar, Newry.
Omagh Christian Brothers Grammar.
St Mary's Christian Brothers' Grammar, Belfast.
Loreto College, Coleraine

A very crude attempt to increase the strength of their playing pool from three underachieving MacRory Cup schools if you ask me.

Although how St Mary's intends to increase their academic intake to 75% is anyone's guess.

[Tony Baloney]

Primary schools are now free to prepare children for the transfer test.

There has been some balls made of this....

But not compelled to do so. Not sure it'll make a pile of difference as those that were fully behind it were doing it anyway and those not behsind it weren't. Parents may try to force the responsibility back onto schools though.

[ONeill]

Does this make a difference? From what I gather many primary schools are full felt transfer test practice anyway, especially from Sept-Nov.

[Milltown Row2]

Does this make a difference? From what I gather many primary schools are full felt transfer test practice anyway, especially from Sept-Nov.

Generally from before Easter schools are doing past papers... Most kids that do the test are being tutored...

[JimStynes]

Great for me! I don't need to do the after school transfer club now as it is going to be done during teaching hours now 

[Gaffer]

Great for me! I don't need to do the after school transfer club now as it is going to be done during teaching hours now 

Were you not doing anything during school hours?


No time limit on how long you can teach the transfer test  per day. So one can teach all day every day until test and when inspector walks in

" Sorry, didn't do any World around us, music etc......  Was busy preparing for the test!! .