TUESDAY, JULY 6, 1976
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+IT WILL DIFFER FROM OTHER SCHOOL AND PUBLIC EXAMINATIONS SUCH AS THE S.S.E.E. IN THAT IT WILL MEASURE ACADEMIC APTITUDE NOT ATTAINMENT, IN LAY TERMS INTELLIGENCE NOT INDUSTRY.
+PUPILS WILL NOT BE REQUIRED TO STUDY FOR THE APTITUDE TEST, AS THEY DO AT PRESENT FOR THE S.S.E.E., AND THIS SHOULD REMOVE THE PRESSURE OF THE PUBLIC EXAMINATION WHICH IS FELT BY SO MANY TO BE INTOLERABLE. NOR WILL THE APTITUDE TEST DISTORT TEACHING IN THE LAST YEARS OF PRIMARY SCHOOLS, AS THE S.S.E.E. IS CLAIMED TO DO. THERE WILL BE NO SYLLABUS FOR THE APTITUDE TEST WHICH WILL BE DEVISED AND CONDUCTED BY THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT. SCHOOLS, HOWEVER, WILL RECEIVE AMPLE NOTICE AND INFORMATION OF THE TEST,+ MR. TOPLEY SAID.
IN ARRIVING AT THE CONCLUSION THAT TEACHERS' ASSESSMENTS OF PUPILS IN VARYING PRIMARY SCHOOLS REQUIRED A MONITORING DEVICE OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, THE DIRECTOR WAS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE EXTREMES OF OPINION PROVOKED BY THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY ON THE REPLACEMENT OF THE S.S.E.E.
THE
SOME BODIES CALLED FOR THE COMPLETE RANDOMISATION OF SELECTION, OTHERS FOR THE RETENTION OF THE S.S.E.E. BETWEEN THESE EXTREMES LAY AN AWARENESS OF THE VALUE OF INTERNAL ASSESSMENT BALANCED IN SOME WAY TO PROVIDE A BASIS OF THE ALLOCATION WHICH WAS FAIR, BOTH TO PUPIL AND TO SCHOOL. NEW SYSTEM ANNOUNCED TODAY IS BELIEVED TO BE FAIR AND WILL BE REVIEWED IN THE LIGHT OF EXPERIENCE. AS IN THE WORKING PARTY REPORT STUDENTS WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FIVE BANDS OF ABILITY BUT THE MONITORING DEVICE WILL ENSURE THAT THE BANDS WILL ADEQUATELY REFLECT TRUE ABILITY AND THIS COULD NOT BE ACHIEVED IN THE SYSTEM RECOMMENDED BY THE WORKING PARTY. HOWEVER, THE PRINCIPLE PROPOSED BY THE WORKING PARTY THAT ALL STUDENTS WITHIN A BAND WERE TO BE TREATED EQUALLY IS FULLY RETAINED IN THE NEW SYSTEM.
WITH THIS IMPORTANT QUALIFICATION, THE DIRECTOR HAS ACCEPTED THE OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE WORKING PARTY.
ALLOCATION TO SECONDARY SCHOOLS WILL BE ON A REGIONAL BASIS PERMITTING PARENTAL CHOICE OF SECONDARY SCHOOL WITHIN SCHOOL NETS- THERE WILL BE DISTRICT COUNCILS AS SUGGESTED TO SEE FAIR PLAY, AND THERE WILL BE A MODIFICATION OF THE FEEDER SCHOOL SYSTEM WHICH WILL BE SUBJECT TO REVIEW IN THREE YEARS' TIME.
AT PRESENT, FEEDER SCHOOLS ENJOY 85 PER CENT PREFERENCE IN ALLOCATION TO THE IR PARENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS. THIS PERCENTAGE WILL BE REDUCED TO 50 PER CENT IN RESPECT TO CHILDREN ENTERING PRIMARY 1 OF THESE SCHOOLS IN SEPTEMBER 1977, SO AS TO PERMIT WIDER ACCESS TO PARENT SECONDARY SCHOOLS FOR PUPILS FROM OTHER PRIMARY SCHOOLS. THE SITUATION WILL BE REVIEWED IN 1980.
THE REPLACEMENT OF THE S.S.E.E. IS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE POLICY. OF THE WHITE PAPER ON THE EXPANSION OF SECONDARY EDUCATION AND FOLLOWS CONSULTATION WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF EDUCATIONAL OPINION.
/OF NECESSITY,