General Teaching Council Northern Ireland

No return to testing of children – Ruane

DE

Education Minister, Caitríona Ruane, has said there will be no more state sponsored testing of 10 year old children.

The Minister was responding to a call for the return of the State sponsored 11 plus transfer test. Minister Ruane said: “The last state sponsored 11 plus tests were held in 2008 and we will not be reinstating an outdated system which has no proven educational benefit for the individual or society.

“Two years ago, after extensive consultation, I developed compromise proposals which reluctantly included the retaining of selection during a three year transition period. At the end of the transition period selection would come to an end. These proposals were not even discussed by the Executive and had to be withdrawn.

“We have made significant progress since then with the publication of Transfer 2010. This official policy statement sets out a clear pathway to allow children to transfer to post-primary school without the need for selection tests and will help determine admissions for Transfer 2011.

“There is a growing movement amongst teachers and the wider community against the use of selection. It is time that certain politicians regained the courage of their convictions and worked to end, once and for all the socially unjust, educationally unsound practice of selection rather than calling for reinstatement of a system they claim to be so opposed to.”