Bishop Donal McKeown has criticised the ''scandalous political failure'' to agree on a replacement for the controversial 11 plus transfer exam. As DUP and Sinn Féin politicians remain polarised on the issue of academic selection, at the launch of Catholic Schools week in Belfast, Bishop McKeown said ''the impasse is causing great uncertainty for all schools, primary and post-primary.''
Bishop McKeown who is chairman of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education said the school trustees ''understand the predicament of schools'' implying his support for the decision of 33 grammars including three Catholic schools who have announced that they will establish their own entrance tests if no political agreement is reached on the way forward.
However, Bishop McKeown said all parties in Catholic education along with many other partners agree that we cannot justify dividing 11-year-olds into ''separate and impervious silos''.
Current system
''There are more than two groups of young people in the world, the intellectuals and the artisans,'' he added. ''The current system is not fit for purpose in the 21st century and we will work to move forward from current entrenched positions''.
''It is vital that all Catholic schools act together to cope with potential uncertainty and a continuing demographic downturn. It is not part of the Catholic or Christian vision that the weakest should suffer excessively and feel that their needs are being overlooked.''
The auxiliary bishop of Down and Connor re-affirmed the apolitical position of the Church on the matter, but the criticism further distances the Church from NI Education Minister Caitríona Ruane who, last year, criticised the Catholic Heads Association (CHA) for their proposal to introduce academic selection in their schools after the abolition of the 11 plus.
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(Source: IC)