Education in Northern Ireland

House of Commons Northern Ireland Affairs Committee Education in Northern Ireland First Report of Session 2005–06 Report, together with formal minutes, oral and written evidence Ordered by The House of Commons to be printed 1 February 2006 HC 726 Published on 9 February 2006 by authority of the House of Commons London: The Stationery Office Limited £17.50 The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee The Northern Ireland Affairs Committee is appointed by the House of Commons to examine the expenditure, administration, and policy of the Northern Ireland Office (but excluding individual cases and advice given by the Crown Solicitor); and other matters within the responsibilities of the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland (but excluding the expenditure, administration and policy of the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Northern Ireland and the drafting of legislation by the Office of the Legislative Counsel). Current membership Sir Patrick Cormack, MP (Conservative, South Staffordshire) (Chairman) Mr David Anderson, MP (Labour, Blaydon) Gordon Banks, MP (Labour, Ochil and South Perthshire) Mr Gregory Campbell, MP (Democratic Unionist Party, East Londonderry) Rosie Cooper, MP (Labour, West Lancashire) Mr Christopher Fraser, MP (Conservative, South West Norfolk) Mr John Grogan, MP (Labour, Selby) Mr Stephen Hepburn, MP (Labour, Jarrow) Lady Hermon, MP (Ulster Unionist Party, North Down) Meg Hillier, MP (Labour/Co-op, Hackney South and Shoreditch) Dr Alasdair McDonnell, MP (SDLP, Belfast South) Stephen Pound, MP (Labour, Ealing North) Sammy Wilson, MP (Democratic Unionist Party, East Antrim) Powers The Committee is one of the departmental select committees, the powers of which are set out in House of Commons Standing Orders, principally in SO No 152. These are available on the Internet via www.parliament.uk. Publications The Reports and evidence of the Committee are published by The Stationery Office by Order of the House. All publications of the Committee (including press notices) are on the Internet at: www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_committees/northern_ireland_affairs.cfm Committee staff The current staff of the Committee are Mr James Rhys (Clerk), Hugh Farren (Attached Second Clerk), Dr Aileen O’Neill (Committee Specialist), Paul Derrett (Committee Assistant), Julia Kalogerides (Secretary), Laura Kibby (Media Officer), Jim Lawford (Senior Office Clerk). Contacts All correspondence should be addressed to the Clerk of the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee, House of Commons, 7 Millbank, London SW1P 3JA. The telephone number for general enquiries is 020 7219 2172/3; the Committee’s email address is [email protected] 1 Contents Report Page Education in Northern Ireland 3 Formal minutes 5 Witnesses 8 List of written evidence 9 List of unprinted written evidence 10 Reports form the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee this Session (2005-06) 11 3 Education in Northern Ireland 1. Secondary education in Northern Ireland is based largely on a selective system with pupils attending grammar schools or secondary schools according to their academic ability. Some two-thirds of pupils opt to take the Transfer Test (known as the 11 Plus) based on written examinations in English, mathematics and, more recently, science. A lengthy Review of Post-Primary Education arrangements in Northern Ireland began in 1998 when the Government commissioned research which concluded that, while the current selective education system had significant strengths, there were also serious weaknesses that needed to be addressed.1 2. On the eve of the suspension of the Northern Ireland Assembly in October 2002, the then Minister for Education in Northern Ireland announced that the Transfer Test would come to an end. The Assembly was not able to discuss this and has not met since. 3. In January 2004 following review and consultation the then Minister for Education, Jane Kennedy, MP, announced the ending of academic selection with the last transfer tests to be held in autumn 2008. Thereafter admissions to post-primary schools will be based on parent and pupil choice and in the case of a school being oversubscribed, selection will take place on the basis of the admissions criteria outlined by the Minister.2 4. The Committee was approached by a group of Grammar School Principals, supported by the Governing Bodies Association, Concerned Parents for Education, and the Confederation of Grammar Schools’ Former Pupils’ Associations, who said that their voices had not been adequately heard in the debate on the proposed changes to post- primary education in Northern Ireland. The Committee agreed unanimously to meet the group while at the same time recognising that it should also meet groups representing other views on the future of post-primary education. 5. The Committee visited Northern Ireland on 28-29 November 2005 when it took evidence from the Grammar Schools’ Group, the Council for Catholic Maintained Schools, a group of Controlled Secondary School Principals, and representatives of East Belfast and Greater Shankill Partnerships. The Committee visited two schools in Belfast, Belfast Royal Academy and St Gabriel’s College, and went to Londonderry and visited Thornhill College and Lisneal College. The Committee received a number of written submissions and also subsequently took evidence from the Minister for Education, Angela Smith, MP. We have printed this evidence. 1 The Effects of the Selective System of Secondary Education in Northern Ireland, Tony Gallagher & Alan Smith, Queen’s University Belfast and University of Ulster, September 2000 2 New Post-Primary Arrangements: A Statement by Angela Smith, MP, Minister for Education, December 2005 (Page 7) “Some popular schools will continue to have more applications than places are available. As now, schools will use admissions criteria to determine who will be admitted. There will be a menu of criteria for schools to choose from. The menu will provide schools with some flexibility to take account of different circumstances, for example, schools and pupils in towns and cities, and schools and pupils in rural areas. The main elements of the menu will be: • Siblings currently at the school and eldest child; • a range of community/geographical criteria - feeder primary schools, parish, child-centred catchment and school- centred catchment; and • tie-breakers - to be used only where other criteria are not capable of allocating places to remaining applicants. Random selection or measured distance from the school will both be included in the menu.” 4 6. We are grateful to all those who helped us with this work, including those who provided written or oral evidence. We are particularly grateful to the principals, staff, parents, pupils and governors of the schools that we visited for their warm welcome. 7. On 6 December 2005 the Minister issued a statement setting out the Government’s vision for new post-primary arrangements and published for consultation a Proposal for a draft Education (Northern Ireland) Order. 8. It is clear from the evidence that we received, written and oral, formal and informal, that there are people in both communities who feel strongly on both sides of the argument about academic selection. Whilst it would not be appropriate at this late stage in the decision-making process to become involved in the debate about the ending of academic selection, we believe it is important that, in the period before the restoration of the Assembly, the Minister takes careful account of all the views that have been expressed to us so forcefully. In her evidence, the Minister stressed that, while much debate had centred on the question of academic selection, the proposals went much wider and have “the potential to give enormous benefits to Northern Ireland”3. In noting this, the Committee's primary concern is to ensure that any changes enhance the quality of education in Northern Ireland, enabling each and every pupil to benefit from the best possible education. 9. In relation to the development of the Pupil Profile, which will be used to assist parents and pupils in choosing the appropriate post primary school, we welcome the Minister's recognition of the need for rigour and robustness and the potential role for computer adaptive testing. The Minister indicated that the use of computer assessment tools had been incorporated into pupil profiles saying: “Computer adaptive tests can give very valid and reliable outcomes and I think they help prove the consistency of teacher assessment”.4 10. The Committee is keenly aware that education is a formerly devolved responsibility and we hope that there will be scope for detailed supervision of the implementation of the changes by a restored Assembly. In this context, we note the Government’s desire to restore devolution during 2006. It is essential that, both before and after the restoration of devolution, the people of Northern Ireland are given every legitimate opportunity to express their concerns. We therefore encourage all interested parties to take every opportunity to participate in the present consultation process. 11. We draw the concerns expressed in the written and oral evidence we have received to the attention of the Government and we give notice that we may return to this subject. At this stage we propose no further hearings, but we urge that opportunity be provided for the order to be debated on the floor of the House. 3 Q 266 4 Q 204 5 Formal minutes Wednesday 1 February 2006 Members present: Sir Patrick Cormack, in the Chair Mr David Anderson Mr Stephen Hepburn Mr Gregory Campbell Meg Hillier Rosie Cooper Dr Alasdair McDonnell Mr Christopher Fraser Stephen Pound Mr John Grogan Sammy Wilson The Committee deliberated. Draft Report (Education in Northern Ireland), proposed by the Chairman, brought up and read. Ordered, that the Chairman’s draft Report be read a second time, paragraph by paragraph. Paragraphs 1 to 7 read and agreed to. Paragraph 8 read. Question put, That the paragraph be read a second time. The Committee divided. Ayes, 7 Noes, 2 Mr David Anderson Mr Gregory Campbell Rosie Cooper Sammy Wilson Mr Christopher Fraser Mr John Grogan Mr Stephen Hepburn Meg Hillier Stephen Pound Paragraph agreed to.

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