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28/05/2009
Testing Debated As Grammars Excel
Primary school principals from across Northern Ireland are meeting today to discuss their concerns about proposed grammar school entrance tests.
The event came as details of academic achievement and the employment or higher education 'destinations' for grammar school-leavers have been released.
As the senior teachers met to debate selection in place of the officially abandoned 11-plus, it emerged today that the proportion of grammar school leavers achieving at least two A levels or equivalent has increased from 80.2% in 2003/04 to 81.6% in 2007/08.
The official National Statistics publication issued by the Department of Education also show that girls are excelling even more than boys after getting coveted places in NI grammar schools.
They show that 87.3% of grammar school girls left school with two or more A levels or equivalent compared to 75.6% of grammar school boys.
However, to underline the demand by aspiring parents for limited grammar school places for their children, the figures showed that the corresponding proportions for secondary schools were just 33.7% for girls and 14.9% for boys.
The data will be of considerable interest to the primary school headmasters at today's conference - organised by teachers' unions.
They are discussing details of unofficial examinations in English and maths to be held later this year - details of which have already been released.
Speaking to the BBC today, Brendan Harron of the teachers' union, INTO claimed some schools are being forced to consider abandoning the curriculum to focus on the tests.
"INTO has received a large number of calls from principals as grammar schools attempt to place pressure on schools in the primary sector to conform to their proposed regime of academic testing for transfer.
"This is forcing schools to consider abandoning the revised curriculum," he said.
Mr Harron said the conference in Belfast was the beginning of a campaign to make sure voices of primary principals were heard.
The final 11-plus was held in Northern Ireland's schools last November and the way in which children currently in primary six will transfer to second-level education remains unclear.
The main point of the conference is the way that most grammar schools have set a common - not offically recognised - alternative test to the 11-plus.
See: 'New' 11-Plus Gets Underway
(BMcC/JM)
The event came as details of academic achievement and the employment or higher education 'destinations' for grammar school-leavers have been released.
As the senior teachers met to debate selection in place of the officially abandoned 11-plus, it emerged today that the proportion of grammar school leavers achieving at least two A levels or equivalent has increased from 80.2% in 2003/04 to 81.6% in 2007/08.
The official National Statistics publication issued by the Department of Education also show that girls are excelling even more than boys after getting coveted places in NI grammar schools.
They show that 87.3% of grammar school girls left school with two or more A levels or equivalent compared to 75.6% of grammar school boys.
However, to underline the demand by aspiring parents for limited grammar school places for their children, the figures showed that the corresponding proportions for secondary schools were just 33.7% for girls and 14.9% for boys.
The data will be of considerable interest to the primary school headmasters at today's conference - organised by teachers' unions.
They are discussing details of unofficial examinations in English and maths to be held later this year - details of which have already been released.
Speaking to the BBC today, Brendan Harron of the teachers' union, INTO claimed some schools are being forced to consider abandoning the curriculum to focus on the tests.
"INTO has received a large number of calls from principals as grammar schools attempt to place pressure on schools in the primary sector to conform to their proposed regime of academic testing for transfer.
"This is forcing schools to consider abandoning the revised curriculum," he said.
Mr Harron said the conference in Belfast was the beginning of a campaign to make sure voices of primary principals were heard.
The final 11-plus was held in Northern Ireland's schools last November and the way in which children currently in primary six will transfer to second-level education remains unclear.
The main point of the conference is the way that most grammar schools have set a common - not offically recognised - alternative test to the 11-plus.
See: 'New' 11-Plus Gets Underway
(BMcC/JM)
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