Minister's Frank Exchange Over Transfer Test

The NI Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane has reiterated her stand on the abolition of the 11- plus examination.

She said yesterday that "academic selection is wrong" and said she is "determined to continue to pursue a course to end it".

The Sinn Fein Minister was speaking in advance of a crunch meeting with Catholic grammar school principals many of whom criticised her leadership and also spoke out about what they said is "the ongoing confusion over what will replace the 11-plus".

She continued: "It is my understanding that the Catholic bishops themselves are opposed to academic selection," which will be a useful staring point for her discussions today as the Catholic Heads Association (CHA) - which represents 31 schools - has publicly expressed "grave concern" at the "vacuum which currently exists in relation to pupil transfer".

A statement from the association had earlier called for "breathing space" and said that a lack of direction and political progress has created apprehension and distress for parents, teachers, and particularly pupils presently in P6.

Bishop Donal McKeown, Chairperson of the Consultative Group for Catholic Education, warned in May that parents and schools were becoming increasingly anxious about the lack of detailed information on Ms Ruane's plans to radically reform the school transfer system.

"Legislation for the management of change is an essential duty of government and the association feels that it is regrettable that only limited leadership has been offered to parents and pupils," the CHA said.

They said that if no political agreement is reached on the way forward, an unregulated education system will emerge in Northern Ireland next year.

This is likely to see 33 grammar schools - which have already pledged to push ahead with their own academic tests - in defiance of Ms Ruane who is expected to issue guidance to all other schools directing them to use non-academic admissions criteria.

"Until such time as a secure, agreed and reliable means of transfer can be put in place academic selection should continue, for the entire intake," the statement concluded.

However, the Minister said she was disappointed that the statement had been issued: "The statement from the Catholic Heads Association sets out what is patently obvious - that the best option is regulation.

"That is what I have spent my time in office trying to bring about. Towards that end, I brought forward compromise proposals which included academic selection on a diminishing basis over a three-year period.

"This was an attempt to introduce a breathing space," she insisted.

Her plans have however been slammed as being not thought-through with the DUP Education Spokesman Mervyn Storey, Chair of the Assembly's Education Committee, supporting the CHA view by saying the principals' statement was a blow or the Minister and her "half-baked plans" to phase out academic selection.

"The DUP has already proposed that for a period of up to three years a CCEA test developed to agreed specifications should be used for post-primary transfer," he said.

(BMcC)