Here is the Minister of Education’s reply. Note that no opportunity was afforded the MLA asking the question Jim Allister AQO 4167/11-15, to respond via a supplementary question. The Minister merely read a response into the record treating the question in the same manner as he has with AQW 22049/11-15 of April 22, 2013. The Speaker then called time raising concerns about proper use of Assembly procedure
Roman Catholic auxillary bishop, Donal McKeown demanded that he was referred to as “president” when he was principal of St Malachy’s College in Belfast. Therefore his attack on parental choice for 11-plus testing and academic selection in the Irish News (subscription required) May 28th 2013 smacks of yet another slathering of hypocricy from the Catholic hierarchy.
Without a hint of irony Bishop McKeown describes the Northern Ireland education system as “bad” while neglecting to acknowledge his own part in imposing a constructivist regime currently dedicated to attempts to make academic selection illegal. In a carefully chosen form of words Donal tries to position “academic education” as an equivalent to the grammar schools by suggesting that all schools provide an academic education for their pupils. Perhaps he should examine the examination results of the grammar schools with those of his favoured comprehensives and let the evidence speak. Parents should not be vexed by Bishop McKeown’s insidious attempts to undermine parental choice for education to be provided in accordance with their philosophical convinctions as described in ARTICLE 2 of the European Convention on Human Rights
No person shall be denied the right to education. In the exercise of any functions which it assumes in relation to education and to teaching, the State shall respect the right of parents to ensure such education and teaching in conformity with their own religions and philosophical convictions.
The Bishop may recall that it it this very same convention that his Catholic Church relies upon to maintain their separate schooling system.
Parents will not miss this attack by the Roman Catholic church on the parental role as prime educators of their children. The attack on parental choice is led by a group of non parents, their spokesman a former grammar school principal who has, like many grammar school principals, failed to represent the interests of all pupils by defending the right of parents to choose.
Bishop McKeown backs a shared education programme which seeks to purge grammar schools (schools which use academic selection by test at 11 as the first admission criteria) out of existence. There is not much room for sharing in a system where 97.7% of pupils attending Catholic schools are Catholic (see http://www.deni.gov.uk)
Of interest the state controlled schools referred to as “Protestant” are made up of only 71% Protestants
Professor Connolly led a team comprised of anti-academic selection, anti-grammar school zealots for the Education Minister to investigate how to advance shared education. Not surprisingly the major recommendation of the report was propose legislation to end academic selection making it illegal.
Read the Report here http://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofEducation/MinisterialAdvisoryGroup/
Note that this Ministerial Report is hosted by QUB not his DENI and and is clearly a political position heralded by the university. Readers will recall that QUB School of Education also produced the report on The Effects of the Selective System of Secondary Education in Northern Ireland in 2000 but the publisher was DENI.
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The conceptual error of the Rasch model used by PISA
April 11, 2013
The race to the bottom continues
February 7, 2013
Good luck to all the pupils waiting for their transfer test results. The children and their parents/guardians are to be commended for their efforts. The children, not least, for being willing to have their numeracy and literacy skills tested and excerising their right to compete for a place in a grammar school. The parents/guardians for supporting the efforts of those schools determined to deliver the equality of opportunity that a transfer test affords. 2013 is the forth year that the “unregulated” tests have been organised and delivered to the highest of standards and it is testament to those who have resisted the determination of an Education Minister hellbound on removing parental choice for a grammar school education to match the needs of their children.
It is important when the results are known not to fall into the annual trap generated by opponents of selection by stressing over the marks or grades (these always remove information and should not ever be compared to the old CCEA grading system) obtained by the pupil. Expect and resist the rumour mill but instead arm yourself with the knowledge that until the admissions process is completed no one can issue a guarantee of a place at any grammar school. The marks/grades from previous years may give a reasonable indication of a school’s 2013 intake but do not be put off in listing a preference because of something someone has told you “on good authority” or “inside information”. Remember that Open Enrolment has resulted in about 42% of post-primary pupils getting a place in a grammar school.
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In making a selection of preferences it is important to take into consideration future plans for the schools. There is little benefit in choosing a school which in a short period will no longer be a grammar school. The school is unlikely to inform you of their change in direction, after all they are competing for your child and relying on their marketing efforts. Your child will not benefit in the long run. Forty plus years of research evidence and data on attainment shows that mixed ability schools generally produce lower attainments at GCSE and A-Level.
Add to that the negative impact of the revised curriculum and the entitlement framework and the Education Minister's insistence in breaking parity on examinations with England and this year's cohort of parents making vital decisions on behalf of their children must be sure of their choices.
Specific information on schools will follow
Sir Robert Salisbury’s PISA Problem
January 29, 2013
Sir Robert Salisbury, Chairman of the Independent Review of the Common Funding Scheme for Northern Ireland schools has published his report which will be presented to the Stormont Education Committee this week.
In the section 7 addressing Tackling Education Disadvantage the above summary appears;
Sir Robert Salisbury’s problem is that his reliance upon the PISA data has been challenged. It has been stated in a published newspaper, The Belfast Newsletter, http://www.newsletter.co.uk/community/your-view/schools-data-doesn-t-add-up-to-failure-claims-1-4632750that PISA suffers from a mathematical conceptual error. To date neither the Education Minister, John O’Dowd nor his appointee have addressed the question.
It remains for members of the Education Committee to hold Sir Robert to account. Watch with interest on Wednesday 30th January to see if the question is asked and answered.
Fatal Flaws of CCEA’s Revised Curriculum exposed by TIMSS data
January 11, 2013
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As pointed out in the letter the DENI's Schools Inspectorate has indicted "failing" primary schools in terms of its inspections, levels-based measurement of attainment and classroom observations. The findings of Trends in Mathematics, Science Survey 2011 tells a different story. Who do you believe has an international reputation for evidence based research?
The North Eastern Education & Library Board continue with their anti-selection and anti-grammar school agenda.
When you receive AQE test results for your child in the coming weeks the natural response to this news will be to avoid Cambridge House Grammar since it is designated to become Bi-Lateral (code for comprehensive)
“Cambridge House Grammar School will continue as an 11-19 Bi-Lateral school, selecting a proportion of its intake on the basis of academic ability, of 1030 pupils up to the year 2014 and will then reduce in stages to a maximum enrolment of 935 pupils.”
Notice that no information is provided on the percentage of pupils to be selected by academic abilty nor any indication that parents were consulted prior to the NEELB proposal
Contact the school principal and the NEELB to register your objection to the destruction of a controlled grammar school. Also contact your political representative and tell them you will note vote for them unless they reverse this proposal.
So much for the representation delivered by John O’Dowd’s Sectoral Support Body for the Controlled Sector. Antrim Grammar School principal, Stephen Black, a member, will be aware of this attack on controlled grammar schools but has remained silent. Perhaps he thinks the NEELB won’t come for his school too or perhaps he was too busy with his Gangham-style video production to notice.
The Rev. Trevor Gribben a TRC representative and avowed anti-selection man told members of the assembly education committee that the churches did not want anything in legislation that gave any particular sector particular rights. His concerns did not extend to denying the NEELB the opportunity to remove a grammar school from Ballymena without the consent of parents. Gribben was quoted telling Mervyn Storey and Danny Kinahan;
“The controlled sector has suffered long enough by being the Cinderalla. It has educated the vast majority of children from a Protestant background. Those schools must be treated with equality.”
Sir Robert Salisbury, Numeracy & Literacy czar, and Northern Ireland Education Minister challenged
January 1, 2013
Published today in the Belfast Newsletter
View entire correspondence here:
schools-data-doesn-t-add-up-to-failure-claims-1-4632750
It is clear that Sir Robert Salisbury and his latest sponsor, Sinn Fein Education Minister, John O’Dowd have been presented with a credibility challenge by Dr Hugh Morrison of Queens University, Belfast.
Dr Morrison will be known to PACE followers as an academic who raised concerns over attempts to undermine the former CCEA transfer test. He pointed out that any instrument proposed to replace the test should meet or improve upon recognised international standards.
Clearly unable to do so, the Sinn Fein controlled Department of Education, upon the advice of CCEA, run by Gavin Boyd, abandoned their duty of care and responsibility to pupils and withdrew the regulated tests.
Parents, pupils and teachers took care of the problem created by irresponsible civil servants and politicians. The ”unregulated” tests have operated well for four years.
The Education Minister has persisted in attacking academic selection by testing, employing methods and measures which have now been called into question by Dr Morrison.
Sir Robert Salisbury must answer the charge raised by this academic, in particular since Salisbury is described as a Numeracy Czar.
At a time when our primary schools are – pace Sir Robert – being hailed as the finest in the English-speaking world, these assertions must surely dismay those charged with securing inward investment in Northern Ireland.
What should add to their dismay is that such claims are entirely erroneous. There is a profound conceptual error at the heart of the PISA scaling model and the PISA rankings simply cannot be used to refute the claim that the post-primary element of our education system may also be world class.
Dr Hugh Morrison
Gavin Boyd of CCEA once challenged Dr Morrison about “getting your facts right”.
The response from Sir Robert Salisbury and John O’Dowd will reveal much about ideology over evidence.
