The recent campaign in an attempt to raise support for bringing the GL and AQE unregulated tests back into primary schools is disappointing in its short-sightedness and opens up again the argument against academic selection. The Catholic Principals’ Association (CPA), is steadfast in its opposition to the whole process of academic selection, believing that it is this very system that has a negative impact on our children.
The argument that the venue for the unregulated tests is a factor in many ways backs up our opposition to the system. Simply moving tests to a different venue does not take away from the negative pressures already built up in relation to the ‘high stakes’ testing event. Nor would it make any difference to the stress and anxiety caused by the rest of the process in receiving results and academic selection itself.
The system is fractured and flawed. In some areas academic selection has been or is in the process of being abandoned in favour of a more comprehensive system, while some other ‘comprehensive’ grammar schools are accepting grades A-D already.
The system has been having an impact on children’s mental health, as for more than 60 years, academic selection has caused stress, anxiety, mental breakdowns, life-long attitudinal changes towards education and the maintenance of a grossly unfair and unequal system. Success through academic selection is largely the preserve of those children whose parents have been beneficiaries of the same system and from a socio-economic perspective can engage private tutors and purchase resources to prepare their children.
As it stands, grammar schools run this unregulated system by developing/delivering the assessments, organising the administration, correspondence and human resources required. To replicate this process in the primary schools would be almost impossible. It would make an already difficult system increasingly unmanageable if outsourced as a venue to the primary schools. The financial cost alone would spiral. Let us remember that DE abolished the transfer test in 2008.
This campaign should be widened to much more than just the venue where the tests are being held and maybe we will get to a point in our society when all our children have access to such a venue for more than just a brief visit for a test, a familiarisation session or an open night without realistically ever having a chance to attend the school in question.
KIERAN O’NEILL
Catholic Principals’ Association
Derry paying disproportionate price for Translink downfall
Derry people will have to take to the streets again to get fair play.
That’s clear from the latest series of snubs to the north west.
Translink is currently facing a huge funding shortfall and Derry is being asked to pay a disproportionate price.
Department for Infrastructure head of transport Tom Reid said the situation had become “critical,” with major cuts to services coming if extra funding isn’t found.
One important factor is that the fuel duty rebate for public transport – available in the rest of the UK – doesn’t apply in the north. People Before Profit has been banging on about this disparity for years. It’s time for other parties to step up.
Mr Reid told Stormont’s Infrastructure committee that “savings” of around £20m will be needed to keep Translink afloat. This would mean taking an axe to entire rail and bus services, not piece-meal nibbling around the edges.
As far as the department is concerned, Phase Three remains where it has been for ages – on the long finger.
It will take a mighty fight to extract the necessary funds from the Treasury.
Put the Phase Three rail issue alongside the neglect of Magee and the lop-sided approach of Invest NI and we can see Derry bring inched away yet again.
Sooner or later the worm will have to turn. There’s no better time than now.
Cllr EAMONN McCANN
People Before Profit
Opportunity for Sinn Féin to put things right
The health service in the 26 counties is not free at the point of use to the majority of its citizens.
However, in 1947 Fianna Fáil introduced a health bill, passed by the Oireachtas after a full debate in both Houses, and passed into law on the basis of being a free no-means-test scheme under section 23, which was ratified in Cabinet in June of 1949.
When Dr Noel Browne, as minister for health, introduced it with the Mother and Child scheme and with the aim of modernising the general hospital and social care services in the Republic, it met with opposition from the Catholic hierarchy lead by Dr John McQuaid, the Archbishop of Dublin, (with the noble exception of Bishop Dignan, who fully supported the health bill) the Fine Gael opposition and Dr. Tom O’Higgins, head of the Irish Medical Association. But the main reason why this health bill failed was that the taoiseach, tánaiste, and coalition cabinet lost their backbone when the hierarchy demurred, which begged the question of just who ran the country – the elected representatives or the Catholic hierarchy?
Eamon de Valera’s Fianna Fáil party, which took over from this coalition, fared no better when it came up against the hierarchy, even when their party were the original creators of this health care bill, being found to be just as spineless.
This 2020 Sinn Féin party now has the opportunity to put this right.
We shall have to wait and see what happens in the coming months.
EDWARD MURPHY
Ballycastle, Co Antrim
Leo has washed his hands of us
Leo Varadkar, with his “we’re headin’ across the floor for a spell in opposition” comments, is typical of the disrespectful attitude he’s always shown to us citizens.
Just another frivolous ‘adventure’ beckons for Leo, and sure he’ll have great fun now that he appears to shirk duty and the responsibility of being in government.
It seems Leo has washed his hands of us.
ROBERT SULLIVAN
Bantry, Co Cork
Senate should be scrapped
In a recent online poll, the majority of respondents voted in favour of granting a vote to over 18s – 34.4 per cent.
A further 32.6 per cent voted in favour of reforming or scrapping the Senate.
The Senate should be scrapped. Privileged educated citizens should not hold an undemocratic sway over legislation in the present system of block panel voting of Senate members, that the taoiseach should not have a block of 11 seats to give out to his political party cronies. In place of a Senate, a provision should be built into the constitution for citizens referenda, a safety valve to keep a check on the Dáil.
JOE TERRY
Blarney, Co Cork
