SAOIRSE32

Irish News
By Simon Doyle
30/01/09

All Catholic grammar schools are set to hold new entrance tests in place of the 11-plus after the executive failed to agree to proposals to ban academic selection.

A total of 25 Catholic schools, including the Newry grammar to which Caitriona Ruane sent one of her daughters, are expected within days to match plans by six others.

Such a move would be devastating for the education minister who wants to introduce a non-selective system.

Ms Ruane had intended introducing her own new temporary transfer test to give schools time to prepare for a complete ban on academic selection but needed legislation to do so.

She had hoped to discuss details of her proposals at a meeting of the executive yesterday but the issue did not make the agenda.

The minister, pictured, is now expected to revert to offering guidance to schools because of the urgency with which clarity on a new transfer system is required.

It is understood this guidance will not include an entrance-test option but focus on non-academic criteria.

The minister is expected to tell schools they should give first priority to “looked after” children and to accept a proportion of children entitled to free school meals.

While schools must “have regard to” any guidance issued by Ms Ruane they can ultimately introduce any admissions criteria they want.

Last year the Catholic Heads Association, which represents 31 grammars, complained of a “lack of direction and political progress” and recommended that schools use the transitional test proposed by Ms Ruane rather than introduce their own exams.

However, when St Michael’s College in Enniskillen followed Derry’s Lumen Christi in October by saying it would offer its own test it was predicted that more Catholic grammars would follow.

Since then four more have declared their hand – St Patrick’s, Downpatrick, Thornhill College in Derry, St Louis’ Grammar School, Ballymena and St Mary’s Grammar School, Magherafelt.

The 25 remaining members of the Catholic Heads Association were understood to have been waiting for the outcome of yesterday’s executive meeting before making a decision.

It is now expected they will follow the Lumen Christi lead and use a test devised by the National Foundation for Educational Research, which sets grammar school entrance tests in England.

It will consist of two ‘standardised reasoning’ papers which will probably be taken in the autumn.

Such testing was scrapped in the north about 15 years ago amid criticisms that children spent their time learning exam tricks.