Children set to sit unofficial transfer tests
Almost 13,800 applications have been made for children to sit unofficial school transfer tests this year compared to the 15,400 children who sat the last 11-plus, it has been revealed.
The old test has been scrapped by Minister for Education Caitriona Ruane, who believes it fosters inequality of opportunity among children. However, two groups of grammar schools have arisen to defy her and arranged their own unofficial tests.
Deadlines for applications to sit the new entrance exams closed just over a week ago, with 7,023 names being forwarded to the Association for Quality Education.
Yesterday the other grouping, the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC), revealed to the News Letter that it had received 6,714 application forms, bringing the total between both groups to 13,737. This means that a slightly lower number of children will be sitting the unofficial tests as sat the last 11-plus, 15,400 children.
Ronnie Hassard, principal of Ballymena Academy and chairman of the PPTC, said the figures confirmed that the two associations had won the confidence of parents.
"Certainly it means that in this year, parents have been made aware of the new tests and have decided to use them. And that is despite official guidance on the matter not coming out from the department until pupils had begun their primary seven year, and despite the fact that it is a new system. Almost 14,000 applications shows that parents knew about and understood how to use the new tests application system," he said.
Mr Hassard also commended the Department of Education for how it is dealing with the situation.
"I think it is very positive because the department is handling applications to attend schools as it did previously, while the schools are making their own arrangements regarding entrance criteria," he said.
"Had the department not done this it could have been chaotic."
The number of children who sat the last official transfer procedure in November 2008 was 15,378 out of possible 22,970.
Neither Mr Hassard nor AQE chief executive William Young said they had any reason to think that there is realistic hope of a resolution in the stand-off between minister Ruane and the grammar schools.
Both men said that there were ongoing discussions aiming to merge the two associations and have a single unofficial entrance test by next year.
Speaking as a principal, Mr Hassard said his board of governors would also be open to discussing the Dickson Plan in Craigavon as a possible way forward, though Mr Young said he did not think such a move would be adequately resourced and he would therefore reject it.
Responding, Education Minister Caitriona Ruane praised what she sees as the positives of the Dickson Plan, but objected that it still contains academic selection.
"The Dickson Plan recognises that 14 is the key age to identify educational pathways for young people," she said.
"However, this can be successfully achieved without the use of academic selection."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Belfast
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Fog
Temperature: 4 C to 8 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: North west
