14 May 2008

11-plus Lives On!

Rumours of the death of academic selection are - it seems - greatly exaggerated.

After months of insisting that there would be no return to the axed 11-plus, NI Education Minister Caitríona Ruane today revealed her 'new' plan - to continue academic selection for another three years.

Last December, Ms Ruane announced that the test, commonly known as the 11-plus, would come to an end in 2008.

However, the Sinn Fein Minister is now insisting that she still had a "vision that there will be no academic selection" and she was prepared to take the steps needed to achieve that, and therefore her plan to continue academic selection for another three years was a "difficult move".

In a speech to grammar and secondary school principals, the Minister also referred to personal criticism of her, but turned this into her "thanks" to everyone "for adding to the debate".

And, while she said there cannot be a "Transfer Test Mark II" and that she hoped academic selection will soon be seen as an "historical anomaly", the new tests would nevertheless be developed and marked by the NI Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment.

She is now proposing this form of testing to continue for the three years, but to impose a new limit on the number of pupils grammar schools can take on that basis.

Yesterday, the SDLP said a new post-primary transfer test for schoolchildren in NI would be a "climb-down". Now, the SDLP's Dominic Bradley has said the new move had the hallmarks of a DUP/Sinn Féin deal.

In counterpoint, Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd - who become Sinn Fein's Education Spokesman in a minor reshuffle last week - said Ms Ruane was setting out a clear way forward.

Last week he poured cold water on any idea of Ms Ruane being replaced over the 11-plus issue.

Speaking after his appointment as party spokesman, Mr O'Dowd said plans for what will replace academic selection would not change, no matter who is the minister: "It wouldn't matter who our Education Minister is, the proposals that Caitríona is bringing forward will remain the same.

"Caitríona Ruane will remain our Minister of Education, she will be carrying through these proposals," he said.

Ms Ruane will outline her plans on Thursday to the Northern Ireland Executive at Stormont.

See: Selection Row Won't Displace Ruane: Sinn Féin

(BMcC)