Principals hit out at minister after ‘clumsy’ tweet
Minister apologises for message over cancellation of AQE test
SECONDARY school principals in Northern Ireland have slammed the Education Minister for implying they provide a “second class” option for pupils.
Peter Weir apologised for a “clumsy” tweet in which he said cancelling the transfer test was a “denial of opportunity” for some pupils.
He said that he did not believe he had let children down over the test debacle but accepted that the disruption was disappointing for many families.
On Wednesday AQE announced the cancellation of its planned single transfer test scheduled for late February.
The minister was unable to rule out remote learning continuing until Easter, although he did say he did not want it to continue on a prolonged basis.
Yesterday, several principals of non-selective secondary schools hit out at Mr Weir’s apparent dismissal of the quality of their teaching as “disgraceful”.
Graham Gault, principal of Maghaberry High School and head of the National Association of Head Teachers NI, said: “Some genuine attempts to develop a fair and thorough contingency plan at some point in the last nine months would have helped. This is not good.”
Jackie Bartley is head teacher at St Genevieve’s High School in Belfast.
She said: “Rest assured minister I lead a non-selective school that certainly does NOT limit opportunities. We ensure our girls aspire to be their best and fulfil their aspirations.”
Businesswoman Tina Mckenzie, a past pupil at the school, said it had been the bedrock of her future.
“I have just been informed that I have been shortlisted as businesswoman of the year in ROI — deeply humbled and yes (Peter Weir) I did have a secondary school education which seems not to have limited my opportunities,”
Clare Mccleave, ICT teacher and head of year 12 at the school, said she was “absolutely disgusted” by Mr Weir’s comments adding “the sky is the limit for our pupils and I truly believe this”.
Martine Mulhern, principal at
St Cecilia’s College in Derry, said: “This year we were named ‘UK Secondary School of the Year’ but here in NI our education system will always deem us ‘second class’ because we are a secondary school and not grammar! Described by our own Education Minister as ‘limiting children’s opportunities’: HOW DARE HE!”
Larne High School principal Stephen Reid said: “So non-selective schools limit opportunities for children? A disgraceful comment. I thought that the minister’s visit to LHS had demonstrated how we create opportunities — the minister’s competence is hardly an advert for grammar school education.”
Deirdre O’kane is principal of St Patrick’s and St Brigid’s College in Claudy.
She shared a video seeking to reassure year seven pupils and spoke of how she had been made to feel inadequate after failing the 11-plus exam as a girl.
Despite attending a secondary school, she said she received a first rate education which allowed her to realise her dreams.
“I’m sitting here as principal of a highly successful, non-selective school in the Derry area. That didn’t come about by attending a grammar school,” she said.
Mr Weir told BBC’S Good Morning Ulster: “While the transfer test has never been about being compulsory for either a school or an individual parent, it does enable parental choice as a result.”
He said he did not think the “in and out” way the test had been handled by AQE — which postponed, rescheduled and finally cancelled the test — had been “particularly helpful” and lacked “consistency”.
Apologising for his tweet, he said: “There was no adverse intention meant toward non-selective schools.”
Mr Weir said schools have now had guidance on criteria giving them “effectively two paths to go down”. He said the options were using primary school data — but not direct teacher assessments — as a form of academic selection or non-academic criteria such as siblings attending the school.
‘The transfer test enables parental choice’