11-plus tests could be over-subscribed
Simon Doyle, Education Correspondent 450 words
Publication date: 17 September 2009 Source: The Irish News
Page: Pg. 11 (c) 2009, The Irish News Ltd. All Rights reserved.
Entries for new 11-plus tests are continuing to pour in with some schools already indicating they will have more children sitting the papers than they have places available.
Tomorrow is the deadline for parents to register their children for either, or both, of the new grammar school entrance exams.
There is no longer a state-sponsored 11-plus and education minister Caitriona Ruane has asked that all post-primary schools operate non-academic admissions criteria only.
However, grammar schools are planning to defy the minister.
Schools have split into two camps using either a Common Entrance Assessment (CEA) or papers set by GL Assessment.
Both groups claim their English and maths exams will not distort the revised curriculum being introduced in primary schools, which is designed to allow more class time for teaching and less for practice papers.
However, state-controlled non-Catholic primary schools are said to have been preparing the children for both tests.
Catholic maintained primaries have objected strongly but some individual teachers have been submitting entry forms on behalf of their own biological children.
In a leaflet issued to parents, Ms Ruane’s department has admitted that without sitting an entrance exam “like the 11-plus” children are unlikely to gain a grammar place.
About 6,700 children are known to have registered to take the CEA, which is being used by about 30 non-Catholic grammars.
It is expected that by Friday’s deadline, the final number of registered children will be closer to 7,000. The tests will be staged on November 14 and 28 and December 5.
There are only 4,500 places available at these schools, which could present them with real difficulties. Experts say that statistically there will be appeals made by parents whose children are denied places.
Another group of mostly Catholic grammars will use the papers set by GL Assessment, although it is not known how many entries there have been so far.
Each of the GL Assessment schools is handling its own entries. To date, three grammars in Fermanagh have exceeded their intake numbers. Portora Royal can admit 70 first years, Mount Lourdes 96 and St Michael’s 100, but each school will host a greater number of pupils on the test day of November 21.
Exact numbers of applications at these schools have not yet been tallied but all children will be accommodated in their first-choice grammar with the two papers being held in assembly halls.
It has been predicted that the total number of entries for both exams will be about 12,000, compared to about 15,000 for the old 11-plus.