Northern Ireland's Protestants press Government on primary school exam

Three Protestant denominations in Northern Ireland have called on the government to introduce a temporary 11 plus exam for primary school students about to make the transition into secondary education.

When the last 11 plus exam was scrapped last year no clear mechanism was put in its place to determine which secondary schools the primary school students would progress to.

The Church of Ireland, Presbyterian and Methodist churches have criticised Sinn Féin Minister for Education Caitríona Ruane, saying that unregulated testing practised by grammar schools is creating confusion within Northern Ireland.

Uncertainty about testing and transferring to secondary schools represent “a failure in good governance”, they claim.

The Department of Education has resisted the retention of the exam, previously administered to students across Northern Ireland in their final year of primary school. It says that the Ms Ruane wants “a non-selective and inclusive process… [that does not identify] children as failures”, reports the BBC.

Rev Trevor Gribben of the Presbyterian Church said that the Churches' statement reflected the “huge unease” many people were feeling as a result of the uncertainty.

“It's amongst principals, governors and teachers in primary schools, who are being put under huge pressure. It's unease amongst parents of year six pupils and the pupils themselves, who do not want the potential chaos of an unregulated system," he said.

"People who are setting tests are trying their very best to get rid of that confusion, but nonetheless it exists.

"Government have a responsibility to do something about it and we are calling, even at this late stage, on the minister of education to sit down with the political parties to try and find interim agreed arrangements for transfer."

A number of Catholic grammar schools have said they will set their own independent tests, while over 30 state schools have said they will also continue to use tests despite the wishes of the Education Minister.