Republican News · Thursday 7 November 2002

Faul challenged over 11+ comments

Mitchel McLaughlin has challenged Mgr Denis Faul to justify his call for the 11+ to be retained.

"Mgr Faul should explain to pupils and parents how he can justify calling for the 11-plus to be retained, when it has been shown to be an unfair, unjust and abusive form of selection," said the Sinn Féin education spokesperson.

"Mgr Faul is at odds with practically everyone else on this point. The 11-plus has been widely rejected by the northern Catholic bishops; by the CCMS; by all five Education and Library Boards; by a wide range of educationalists; by the Assembly's Education Committee and a majority of the respondents in the household survey (57%).

"Its unfairness has been shown by extensive research. Children, when consulted, told of the anxiety, agony and distress, caused by the 11+. Should we continue to inflict this form of abuse on our ten-year olds? I think the public is entitled to hear Mgr Faul's response to that question.

"Mgr Faul is wrong - or disingenuous - when he says that 'more than 64 percent of the population wish to retain grammar schools'. The figure of 64% represents those household survey respondents - 16% of the total population - who wish to retain some form of academic selection. When a random sample of the population was asked the same question, the percentage fell to 54%. Written submissions from schools indicated only 37% wanted academic selection to be retained.

"The form of post-primary education which will best respond to the demands of the 21st century must now be debated and discussed, and the momentum of the past two years must not be lost.

"My party colleague and former Education minister Martin McGuinness was well within his remit when he announced the abolition of the 11+ by the end of 2004. This gives us until September 2006 to design and put into place a system which will deliver a quality education for all our children."