Children's post-primary education in Northern Ireland will depend on the area they live in.
Children's post-primary education in Northern Ireland will depend on the area they live in. A central group and five area groups are being set up to focus on education after the end of the 11-plus later this year. Education Minister Caitriona Ruane outlined the proposals in the assembly on Tuesday. She insisted that she will not be rushed in the decision process, which she claims "is not a shotgun wedding". The final 11-plus exam will take place this year, and the education minister has been under pressure to announce what will replace it. The area based groups have been given a deadline of October 2008 to report back on their recommendations. Ms Ruane said she has still kept all post-primary options open, the possibilty of transfer at 11 or at 14 "will be different depending on where you live". She said she was not proposing "a one size fits all system". The minister set out a list of key decisions which the six groups will need to make. Ms Ruane has promised to announce the chairs of the six groups by the end of the week. Unionist members are concerned that the representatives of protestant churches are not officially listed as members of the groups. The minister says all sections of the community will be represented on the groups. Sharing resources Ms Ruane believes that co-operation between schools and colleges in sharing facilities and expertise is crucial. "What we are proposing in future is a situation where young people will have a choice of at least 24 courses at key Stage 4 and 27 at post-16," she said. She said there will be "at least one third are academic, at least a third vocational or technical and the other third made up of an appropriate combination of the two". She hopes that a new system can begin to be established in April 2009. However, full area-based plans covering pre-school, primary and post-primary on the model outlined are not expected to be in place until 2010 at the earliest. | ||
What was the point of this statement more ambiguity more confusion and seemingly flying in face of Catholic Post primary review. What next everybody put their toes in and the minister counts till youre out.
We hear 'area based' planning coming through continually. Let's get the practicalities of this sorted so that schools in these 'areas' can come together to discuss what is best for their children now. Time is of the essence .The process needs moved on.
I am a principal of a primary school and i am continually asked by parents and staff about the way forward and area based planning. What do i tell them? What can i accurately tell them without being perceived as a liar? Perhaps the Minister should spend less time worrying about photo opps and actually get down to doing some hard work on sorting this thing out!!!!
I am amazed at the level of contempt felt my many teachers towards the minister. Give her a break she has a difficult portfolio on top of everything else she has to do.Maybe we need to focis on helping rather than hindering her
Whinging teachers who are over paid. Perhaps you need to step into real world of stress and competition were your job is evaluated, were you dont get 4 months off. Bloody sick of whingers and the teacher trade unions
Re: Joe PublicJoe, why don't you study to become an overpaid one of us with fantastic holidays that you can only dream about, then you would have the right to whinge, and maybe you'd also be able to spell your own name
Those that can do, those that can't teach and those that can't teach well they teach PE Overpaid not for much longer ha ha ha ha
Is that it Joe, is that the best you can come up with, tell me you have more!! How pathetic to make your argument with a cliche ...
I don't see any big statements being made that we didn't already know. A year to bring about changes isn't sufficient. What about the current P5/4 children, they will suffer at the hands of this.