Newry Armagh Sinn Féin Sinn Féin -- Building an Ireland of Equals

Meeting of grammar schools was nothing more than paper exercise - Casey

Published: 11 September, 2009

Newry Sinn Féin councillor Charlie Casey has stated that the meeting organised by local grammar schools in Newry on Tuesday night was nothing more than a paper exercise.

The Deputy Mayor of Newry and Mourne said,

"The meeting organised by the local grammar schools was nothing more than a paper exercise and has caused more confusion that it resolved. The fact that the panel refused to take questions from concerned parents reduced the meeting to a near pointless exercise and a waste of parent's time. The schools involved clearly did not want to discuss their entrance procedure with parents of children who will not only be admitted by unregulated tests but will also be excluded from these schools by these tests.

"The meeting which was very well attended turned into a farce and lasted less than half an hour.

"The grammar schools that are preceding with unregulated academic selection tests are obviously unwilling or unable to stand over their decision to continue to put children through a series of unnecessary stressful examinations especially given the fact that the Catholic hierarchy have stated that all Catholic Controlled Schools will abolish all forms of academic selection in two years.

"I would call on the Boards of Governors of these schools to consider very carefully the legal ramifications of the path of unregulated selection tests before embarking on this legally precarious route.

"The schools should embrace the new changes to the education system that will not only create equality for all our children but will furbish them with a enhanced curriculum that will allow each child to fulfil their own potential.