North's churches urge political consensus on education

The four main churches in the North challenged politicians today to bury their differences over the future of the province’s education system for the sake of children.

A stand-off over what follows the abolition of the 11-plus as a means of transferring from primary school to secondary school is leading to heightened anxiety and stress levels among pupils, parents and teachers, said the churchmen.

Thousands of pupils sit the first papers of the final 11-plus tomorrow and no one knows what happens next year.

The educational spokesmen of the four churches warned of “an abyss of unregulated arrangements” if consensus is not found.

Already the bulk of Protestant grammar schools have announced plans to run their own 11-plus-type exam next year and at least two Catholic grammars have defied their bishops and announced they too will use their own exam.

Sinn Féin’s Stormont Education Minister Caitriona Ruane is insisting selection goes but has offered an interim system of selection reducing over each of the next three years.

Many unionist politicians are opposed to her plans and insist the future of the grammar schools must be protected through some form of continued selection.

The church spokesman – muddying the waters by saying they were speaking as a group of individuals, not on behalf of their churches – said that a recommendation from educationalists during the summer, that selection be retained but happen at the age of 14, be seriously looked at as a compromise.

The Rev Trevor Gribben of the Presbyterian Church – speaking on behalf of the Church of Ireland’s the Rev Ian Ellis, Catholic bishop Donal McKeown and Methodist Trevor Jamieson – urged the politicians to get their act together.

“Stop saying what you want and start saying what you can live with, for the sake of the children, what is an honourable consensus,” he said.

He added: “We feel compelled to give voice to a deep unease among teachers and parents of primary school pupils, especially those parents with pupils in year six.

“There is a growing sense of frustration within our churches, and within society as a whole, that no agreement at a political level seems within reach.”

It was clear there were strong yet unreconciled convictions about the best system of education for the future and that each viewpoint seemed to cancel out the other.

“We ask our politicians and others to stand back from established positions and to create the space necessary so that, through dialogue between those with different outlooks, the best way forward may be found for all children.”

Speaking at a news conference in Belfast, Bishop McKeown added: “Unless we have a legislative framework for change, then deregulation seems to be the only option – we feel that will be a chaotic situation.

“Not having a legislative way forward is not an option – please find a way forward.”

In a blunt message to the politicians, he said: “The impasse is very, very unsettling for the children. We pray you find a legislative framework to run our country – this is too important to be left to chance.”

Over the summer a group of educationalists from all sides of the argument came up with tentative proposals which the churchmen said seemed to suggest “a workable approach”.

The churchmen urged the politicians to look at the proposals, which suggested the disappearance of academic selection at the age of 11 and the use of criteria to access courses and pathways at 14 which could include, among others, academic criteria.

They said: “That group’s work may not be the final word but we feel that it is worthy of detailed consideration and may form a basis for ongoing discussions, leading to an increasing degree of consensus about the contentious issue of transfer arrangements.”