Young people welcomed plans to abolish the dreaded 11-plus and believe the new education system, proposed by the Independent Review Body, is fair and considers real life issues affecting young pupils transferring from primary to secondary school.
| You should be judged more as a person... it’s not all about maths, English and science. |
"I think it is completely wrong to put a young child through all that hard work and under all that pressure just to do the 11-plus. And if you don't pass, you are told that you are a failure," said Amanda McAteer, (13).
Fourteen-year-old Sheena Hall, who was assessed at Key Stage level three last May, was please to get three level sixes; in English she was only a few marks away from a level seven.
She said: "I am being tested now on the same subjects that were covered for the 11-plus which my primary school teacher told my mummy I was not capable of doing."
"Then I was too young and not ready for the pressure," she added.
In order to assess individual progress at school most, young people accept some form of testing is inevitable.
However, many believe that the current system is too rigid and support the idea of building a Pupil Profile as suggested by the report.
"From Primary 5, the 'Pupil Profile' will provide an evolving qualitative and quantitative picture of a child's achievements, aptitudes, attitudes to learning and developmental needs in an holistic way enabling and teachers to match the individual needs and aspirations of the child with a school of their choice and with their curricular needs within the new Collegiate System," Gerry Burns Chairman of the Review Body said.
Benen Dillon, (11) who sits his 11-plus next week agreed "you should be judged more as a person and on your abilities as well as your skills. It is not all about maths, English and science."
The concept of a uniform school system, without distinction between Grammar and Secondary is widely accepted as positive among young people.
Many associate financial well-being and economic standing with pupils who get tutors for the 11-plus and go on to attend grammar school.
"Stereotypes, such as people from lower, poorer classes are stupid and upper class, rich people are smart, are just not true," said Michael Leathem, 15.
He feels the same stereotypical distinctions are made between grammar and secondary schools.
Johnny Clarke, (12) believes all schools should offer the same subjects and provide different levels of teaching for a variety of abilities, then "you should be able to go to the school nearest your home."
Conor Magowan Greene, (11), who got an A in his 11-plus attends Lagan College said: "I think the education system should be more flexible. If you are good at Maths you should go to the top class and If you are not good then you should go to the class where you can get help."
Within the proposed new education system, the transfer test will be replaced by and informed parents preference, which means teachers and parents decide what school will be best for a primary pupil after P7.
While Lucas Dillon, (11) welcomes the dismantling of the 11-plus and believes continuous assessment is a more positive and fairer way to judge pupils' progress in both primary and secondary level, he sees limitations in this aspect of the report.
"When you are about to leave school, you, your parents and teacher should talk about your abilities and decide what level of class or school you should be going into, not just the teachers and parents," he said.
About the team
This article was produced by members of the Children's Express Belfast bureau. It was published in the Belfast Telegraph.
