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. | ||
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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
The minister is a disgrave and should resign immediately. Our children are being punsihed for following the academic path instead of a vocational path.
All these statements by the Minister are woolly and lack facts. She is playing with my child's future, P6 is the most important year of primary school and the teachers have not been told what is expected, or how the children are to transfer, what does area-based plans mean? I don't think she knows herself, that is why she is setting up further committees, for someone else to come up with the answer!! If she has not a sound -well structured plan in place for June 2008, then she should allow the 11 plus exam sit for a further year.
i failed the 11 plus and suffered from low self esteem for years because of it i ended up gaining my degree and other qualification from queens and oxford please parents of young children listen to the minister her suggestions will work scrap the 11 plus and give children a chance to grow up
Teachers are educators and have been for century's - without teachers no one would be educated or qualified to get a job. The reality is that teachers do not get the acknowledgement or respect for the amount of work they do. There is more paper work and stress in teaching than most people are aware of. When we leave the classroom our job is not over, we do not "clock out", it is taken home and finished and new work prepared for (after hours that can be considered overtime other workers that is not in your contact and not paid!). It is the future of the children that is at stake here not just by the end of the transfer test but also by the lack of information and direction given to the process that is to replace it. This is what we should be worried about not the fact that teachers have 8 weeks off (not 4 months as stated by public joe!). The school holiday system has been in place for years. Children are not built to cope with being in schools all year round holidays fro school are necessary for children to grow and learn from their family and surroundings, which is just as important as the other 10 months in school.
I know that change is scary and we as humans resist it vehemently.However i feel we should give a new system a chance, we have great teachers so they will succeed in any system.Lets not forget that we have great kids too and let them prove their adaptability too.
MY P6 child feels that the 'new' system is worse than having to complete an 11 plus test. C Ruaine has left it a shambles - she has made suggestions that cannot be enforced. At least the 'old' 11 plus system had regulations concerning it. The whole 'transfer' system should have had a public vote. She made decisions and couldn't follow them through. She stated that my child did not have to complete a test to transfer to a grammar school. In fact they do and not only that but their teachers are not permitted to prepare them for it. I am sure that she did her best but it isn't good enough!! It seems that one week they weren't completing a test, the next week they were ...back and forward. I personally feel that if she had to sit down with the current P6 children and their parents that she would be horrified at the way she has led them within their final years at primary school.
I have four of a family.3 with degrees.One at Medicial School and one of the 3 a secondary school Teacher.We don't have the 11 thank god.Well done Caitriona Ruane in getting rid of this ghost from the past.
My Family.Firefighter-IFA-Teacher and Medicial Student.They never took the 11 plus in Scotland.Niece, Lawyer. So what's all the fuss about.
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.