Irish National Teachers Organisation
INTO Response to Committee for Education request for views on the Minister of Education’s Proposal for Transfer to the Post-Primary Sector from 2010.
INTO is opposed to Academic Selection as a transfer mechanism to post-primary schools.
INTO favours the establishment of all-ability post-primary schools.
INTO supports the Minister of Education’s vision for education as outlined in her 4th December 2007 speech and her compromise proposal for election at 14. Our preference remains for a mix of 11 to 18 integrated, all-ability schools, and where applicable, open access 6 th form colleges
INTO regrets the political impasse that has developed since the Ministerial statements and compromise proposal as outlined in December 2008.
INTO has given a guarded welcome to the further compromise proposal by the Minister for Education outlined on the 15 th May where she recommends ‘…a 3 year phased approach which will allow those schools which need time to adjust to the new system to use academic selection in a 3 year time bound limited manner…’
This is in the context of the ending of Academic Selection, the introduction of new post-primary admissions criteria and a process of informed election at age 14.
INTO regrets the continuation of Academic Selection in the form of a Revised Standard Test for schools seeking to use the transitional period even for the professed pragmatic reasons. The standard test to be drawn up by CCEA will inevitably distort the Revised Curriculum in the primary schools concerned and all evidence demonstrates his is to the disadvantage of the pupils.
INTO welcomes the non academic criteria to be specified in Regulations subject to the following caveats:
- The inclusion of ‘Parish’ under ‘Geography’ is unnecessarily restrictive;
- The Free School Meals criterion is an innovative and welcome proposal but requires additional nuancing to ensure it can be applied equitably across all sectors.
INTO seeks clarification as to how DE will ensure the system of Transfer will take account of rurality.
INTO broadly welcomes the proposed Phase 2 preparations and makes these comments:
- All post primary schools should be treated equitably in relation to school capacity;
- The positive incentives to collaborating schools should be enhanced with additional earmarked funding and resource to promote this policy objective;
- The Area based Planning process replicates the 1986 Education Order powers for Education and Library Boards. Assuming ESA is made subject to review, the integration of the Area Planning Boards into the Education and Library Boards would assist collaboration and ensure that existing best practice with Local Learning Partnerships[LLPs] can continue to be developed.
- The review of the school capital build programme to facilitate this is welcome;
- The review of Transport Policy is essential.
INTO welcomes the Phase 2: 2013 – Election at 14 proposals but the 24/27 subject Entitlement Framework needs to be scaled back.