IN MY VIEW: Barriers to learning - physical or economic- need to be torn down - Karen Mullan MLA

It should be the goal of every educator to play a part in changing the world of children, families, and communities for the better.

As Sinn Féin Education Spokesperson I want to acknowledge and pay tribute to all those who play their part in education on a daily basis across all sectors.

Education is central to the success of any economy and society. Citizens afforded the right to access high-quality education, will return the investment many times over. But every child should have an equal right to access good education so they can achieve their full potential in life.

However, that is still not the case in the North.

The ongoing use of academic selection by some grammar schools to select and reject children continues to drive socio-economic inequality by benefiting those from more affluent backgrounds.

The stark fact is that in the selective system, a child from a socially disadvantaged background is half as likely to succeed in education as one who is not.

This is because these children don’t have the same access to things like extra tuition, parental support, learning tools or simply a quiet place to study.

That does not make them failures. That makes them even more deserving of support and as a society, we have a duty to all children.

The harsh reality of inequality, particularly in education is that it damages every aspect of society economically and socially by inhibiting individuals from reaching their full potential and contributing fully to our overall standard of living.

Barriers to learning, whether physical or economic need to be torn down if we are to truly change the world through education. Academic excellence can be achieved without selection.

As Sinn Féin has consistently argued, there is simply no need to put children through the stress of sitting a selection test when all schools adhere to the same curriculum.

Successive reports and exam data show that schools that have moved away from selection are achieving results that are just as good as those schools that still persist with it.

This is positive proof that academic excellence can be achieved without selection and I am again calling on those remaining grammars that cling to this system to think of the many young lives that are cast aside as failures at eleven years of age. It is long past time to abandon this outmoded system of dividing our children and move education into the 21st century.

A recent report produced by the Right to Education (R2E) group in June 2019 found that 92% of teachers felt that transfer testing had a ‘significant negative impact’ on the health of children.

The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, Equality Commission, Human Rights Commission, Children’s Commissioner, OECD, the trade union movement, and the Catholic Church hierarchy have all called for an end to academic selection and these calls should be heeded.

There is no other area of public policy that has so much evidence stacked against it where it would be acceptable for a Minister to defend its continued use and not to be vigorously challenged.

There also is an onus on school Boards of Governors to acknowledge the extent of this evidence.

I reiterate the consistent calls by Sinn Féin for the creation of a fully inclusive and non-selective education system.

Across the North, many schools have taken the decision to suspend transfer tests for the upcoming school year.

Locally, I want to commend Thornhill College and St Columb’s College who have recognised the impact Covid has had on children’s learning and emotional and mental wellbeing and decided not to use transfer test as entry criteria. This decision has been taken in the best interests of the pupils. I hope that the Board of Governors in both will continue on this path for the future.

I also appeal to the other schools which are still intending to use the test, to do the right thing and abandon it.

No child or parent should have to endure the pressure and worry of these unregulated tests. They should play no role in the education of our young people going forward.

There is overwhelming evidence that academic selection has a detrimental impact on the self-esteem and development of young people. It is outdated, unfair and has a negative impact on pupils, our education system and our society.

Everyone interested in the delivery of high-quality education as well as equality and social justice, need to recognise this reality.