Written evidence from Dr and Mrs I G Snounou
POST PRIMARY
EDUCATION IN
NORTHERN IRELAND
We are writing to register our objection to
the New Admission Arrangements for Post-Primary Schools and do
not wish to see the end of academic selection at Transfer. Our
objection is based on the following grounds:
— In this Age of Globalisation, the
future success of our country can only be achieved by stretching
our children's abilities to the limit. We are competing in a global
market. We in Northern Ireland have to prepare our children to
compete against the best in the world and we have been doing so,
extremely well for a very long time. So why destroy a system that
works?
— Recent statistics show quite clearly
that, for all its faults, the current system in Northern Ireland
allows more pupils from working class and disadvantaged homes
to go to university and the academic performance of our pupils
at GCSE and A Level is better than those in Great Britain.
— The lack of Scientists and Engineers
hinders the future progress of our country. We must encourage
those schools with academic ethos (academic selection) to produce
the Scientists and Engineers of the future, if our way of life
is to be protected.
— Just as assessing players' sporting
ability to join Manchester United to compete against other international
teams is vital to their success; so is assessing children's academic
ability when joining an academic school or on their vocational
ability when joining a vocational school.
— We need to look at improving our
vocational education for those children who are so inclined and
providing them with better opportunities.
— We should enhance the current system
to stretch the most able students while boosting the vocational
training to end the snobbery that values it as a second class
education.
— We need to look at ways to help deprived
families to help their children to have better self-esteem and
to encourage them to work harder to brake the poverty cycle.
— The best results can only be achieved
by placing each group of children in a school suited to their
needs, with the aim of helping them to achieve their full potential.
Mixing children with different academic abilities will only make
the least able feel inferior and resentful whilst the most able
may become bored or disruptive in the class room.
The government is spending a huge amount of
tax payer's money on specialist schools, with the aim of creating
new "successful schools". Northern Ireland has a substantial
number of "very successful schools". It makes sense
to allow these schools to continue their success uninterrupted.
They provide a shining example to other schools. Changes are only
needed in schools which are not producing good results.
— Parents' right of choice implies
choice between schools with different ethos (academic, vocational,
religious etc). It also implies choice between schools that use
academic selection and those which do not. There is no choice
if all schools are made to be the same.
— The "Investors In People"
scheme, run by government at a huge cost, emphasisesthe importance
of ownership (where every employee is made to feel and act as
an integral part of the organisation). Any changes to the educational
system carried without the full support of teachers and heads
will result in the staff loosing any sense of ownership, and lead
to the failure of the school to achieve its objectives. As you
can see from the above points, we fundamentally disagree with
the New Admission Arrangements for Post-Primary Schools and do
not wish to see the end of academic selection at Transfer.
The ending of academic selection will destroy
the grammar schools as centres of academic excellence as they
will inevitably decline into neighbourhood comprehensives. It
is undemocratic of a Government to so flagrantly ignore the wishes
of parents, teachers and the public on this issue as they were
so clearly expressed in the Household Survey and subsequent similar
surveys.
Northern Ireland's education system, based on
a mixed pattern of secondary schools, was a shining light throughout
the troubles; it is still admired throughout the world. The best
of it should be maintained and special attention given to areas
of weakness, the skills gap and primary schools in deprived areas.
We believe that any decision about education
in Northern Ireland should be left to a local assembly and not
pushed through on Order in Council in Westminster against the
will of the people.
We believe that the positive alternative proposals
based on Computerised Adaptive Testing match the will of the people
as expressed in the Province-wide Household Survey.
We appeal to you to intervene personally and
to delay the process pending the return of the local assembly.
29 November 2005
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