Academic excellence despite segregation
Despite the fact that we have faith schools (largely Catholic) and State schools (largely Protestant), we also produce the best levels of academic attainment in the UK because we have preserved academic selection.
At a time when, in Britain, the Labour Party is splitting at the seams over an education bill that might reinstate a modicum of selection, we have showed that the best way to educate children is to stream them on the basis of ability - between schools and within them.
The result is that we have significantly higher degrees of social mobility - ie, a significantly larger percentage of children from poorer backgrounds manage to get to university here than in Britain.
However, our colonial (Labour) masters have decided that it is now time to wreck a system that creates excellence. Performance of all our children in GCSEs and A levels is better across the board and across the religions.
Mr Cottrell should focus his attentions on maintaining excellence by campaigning against the draft NI education order.
Jeff Peel
99 Hillsborough Road
Lisburn
Co Antrim BT28 1JX
