Hundreds of pupils to sit entrance exams
Hundreds of P7 children across the North West will sit controversial grammar school entrance exams tomorrow which will decide whether they get into the school of their choice next year.
Tests will be held in St Columb's College, Lumen Christi and Thornhill College tomorrow morning.
Primary seven pupils have been visiting the schools over the last few weeks attending familiarisation sessions in the rooms where they will sit the exams.
The principal of St Columb's College, Sean McGinty, said just under 250 pupils will be sitting the exam at the Buncrana Road school tomorrow. "They will be in groups from their own primary schools and there will be a maximum of 25 in a classroom while sitting the test. We will be using 12 classrooms with groups ranging from 18 to the maximum. We also have around half a dozen girls who chose to sit the test at St Columb's," he said.
It is the first time many Catholic grammar schools have held entrance exams since the introduction of the 1947 Education Act.
Similar tests were held last week at Foyle and Londonderry College and Limavady Grammar School with almost 400 pupils sitting the tests.
Meanwhile, a teaching union chief from Derry has warned of a potential crisis after the results of the entrance tests are announced in February.
Brendan Harron, from the Irish National Teachers Organisation (INTO), says he expects to see parents taking legal action against schools.
"There is going to be serious litigation coming when pupils don't get into the schools they want," he says. "We are convinced of that. Every year, there are 1,100 appeals to the eleven plus exams and this year there will be a lot more than that. It is a legal minefield," he said.
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Weather for Derry
Sunday 12 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 9 mph
Wind direction: South west
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 18 mph
Wind direction: North west
