Mags Gargan
Bishop Donal McKeown The Church has signalled strong opposition to attempts by the North’s new DUP Education Minister to roll back on education reforms that have sought to remove academic selection for 10-year-olds.
The contentious tests – once known as the 11+ – are used by some grammar schools to decide whether or not to admit students. The Catholic Principals’ Association (CPA) has called on Catholic grammars to abandon the tests, which they have described as a “deeply discredited, damaging and unnecessary system”.
Following his appointment, Mr Weir said that “academic selection is here to stay” and that he plans to “explore where we can make improvements in the process”. However, Bishop of Derry Dr Donal McKeown told The Irish Catholic that the idea that “you can divide children into two separate groups at 10 years of age on the basis of some sort of 90 minute written test” is “ludicrous” and “psychologically, it is bunkum”.
Advantage
“I think the way things are at present it is a test that tends to advantage the already advantaged in society. In other words those who can afford coaching for it tend to do better,” he said. “The weaker in society simply don’t have a voice that speaks for them and that’s why from a Church perspective we are saying we have to get a better way of ensuring we get success for all our young people and not just for some.”
Some Catholic grammar schools have moved, or plan to move, away from using unofficial 11-plus exams and Bishop McKeown pointed out that “the highest achieving school in the UK last year was St Patrick’s in Keady, South Armagh, which is a non-selective school”.
The Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) has requested a meeting with the new minister to discuss “the archaic system of academic selection”, which they describe as “detrimental to communities”.
