AQE test ‘only fair way’ to give NI children a choice of school

The mother of a P7 pupil preparing for this year’s transfer test has described the exam as the “only fair chance” for many children to have a choice of post-primary school.

She said those calling for the pro-transfer lobby to “park their ideological position” for this year are blatantly exploiting the Covid crisis for their own ideological ends.

“For most of us it is the only fair chance to give our children any choice,” she said.

“They have got an idea in their heads of the schools they would like to go, and now to not run the tests would be very, very unfair on them.”

The concerned mother, who does not wish to be named, is also a post-primary school teacher.

She said the vitriol on social media directed at those who support academic selection has reached alarming levels. She is also dismayed at the number of public figures in Northern Ireland she claims are using the Covid crisis as an opportunity to have the privately-run selection tests abolished altogether.

There was considerable confusion around the transfer process last week when the two bodies setting exams – the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (GL test) and the AQE – said their tests would not go ahead as planned at the end of this month due to the Covid restrictions on school activity. The AQE later announced that a single test would take place on February 27.

That decision attracted widespread criticism from the anti-selection lobby and a number of grammar schools said they were no longer prepared to use the AQE exams to select their intake of pupils for September 2021.

“I am just very angry that these groups are saying that we have got to park our ideological position for this year, but that is not what they are doing,” the concerned mum said.

“They are clearly using this year to try to set a precedent I think. [Covid] is definitely being exploited. Naomi Long has also asked us to park our ideological position while she proffers hers.”

Speaking on the BBC’s The View programme, Alliance leader Mrs Long said: “We all need to park our ideological positions at this time and think of the children who are 10 and 11. They would be the only people sitting formal exams this year.”

Chris Lyttle MLA supports his party leader’s position. He said: “The uncertainty and distress experienced by many children and their families throughout this process has been unacceptable.”

However, the concerned mum went on to say: “If you look on the GL and AQE support group web page, which as 9,800 members, there is quite a consensus that people whose children don’t fit any of the other criteria [for grammar school admission], for example having siblings there, for them this is the only way for their child to access grammar education, on merit, and to give choice which is the most important thing for the children.”

Last week, First Minister Arlene Foster robustly defended her party’s support for the private post-primary school transfer test.

Mrs Foster said her position reflected “parental choice” rather than academic selection.

The DUP leader said: “This isn’t about academic selection, it’s about parental choice because parents make the decision to send their children to wherever they think is appropriate, whether it is to some of our excellent non-selective high schools, whether it is our grammar schools, the integrated sector, Irish-medium sector, parents have to have the ability to make that choice.”

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers — and consequently the revenue we receive — we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to newsletter.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to the best Northern Ireland and UK news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content.

Visit https://www.newsletter.co.uk/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.

Alistair Bushe

Editor