Pupil Profiling Scrapped

A new system of 'pupil profiling' at Ulster schools has been cancelled, it has been confirmed.

The latest controversy at the NI Department of Education comes after officials performed a 'U-turn' and instructed teachers to go back to traditional annual reports.

Pupil profiling was intended to provide information on children, which would help parents decide what type of school their children should attend

Attempts were made to produce a version that informed parents and was easy for teachers to use.

However, the latest report on the pilot scheme has criticised both the computer technology and the lack of information in the reports.

Parents described them as "bland, impersonal, vague and too politically correct."

The department now intends to rename the profiles 'Annual School Reports', representing a return to the previous status quo.

Parents and teachers will have three months to give their opinion on the new plan.

Teachers will be told they should list whatever level a child has reached and, if they wish, include the class test results.

The novel profiling concept - first mooted seven years ago - was supposed to track a pupil's progress at school through a series of tests on reading, writing and numeric abilities.

However, despite the continuing crisis on the replacement mechanism for the 11-Plus transfer, the Department said the reports would not be used for academic selection.

See: 11-plus Lives On!

(BMcC)