Green

Questions asked by the Confederation of Grammar Schools' Former Pupils' Associations

Copied from tonight's Belfast Telegraph, with the suggestion from me to the CGSFPA that putting something on the internet yourselves might have helped your cause a little - apparently it's the next big thing, the internet.

To the Minister with Responsibility for Education Barry Gardiner M.P.

Dear Minister,

We are deeply concerned by a number of recommendations in the Costello Report, which have been accepted in full, and the effect that they will have on the standard of post-primary education in Northern Ireland. We would welcome your response to the following questions:

1. Why has the will of the people to retain some form of academic selection, as demonstrated in your Department's consultation process, been rejected?
2. How can there be a variety of school types if all schools are to have an all-ability (ie. comprehensive) intake?
3. How many schools with less than 500 pupils are likely to close if the Costello proposals on Pupil Entitlement are implemented?
4. How can the academic nature of grammar schools be maintained if they are denied any reliable measure of the aptitude or abilities of pupils being admitted to their classrooms?
5. What guarantee is there that the untried system proposed by Costello will improve current levels of attainment?
6. How can parents exercise a choice if, when schools are oversubscribed, the final decision could depend on a postcode or random computer selection?
7. How can schools be expected to exercise responsibility for the welfare and safety of pupils while they are travelling to, or receiving lessons at, other institutions?
8. How will the distinctive ethos of individual schools be preserved under the new arrangements?
9. How many schools will be forced to close their Sixth Forms because of the Costello proposals that 27 courses must be offered at this level?
10. How are radical changes being made to our education system without any reliable estimate being available of what they will cost?

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