Two grammar schools in Derry-Londonderry abandon academic selection for 2022

By Q Radio News

Two Catholic grammar schools in Derry-Londonderry have become the latest to abandon academic selection for 2022.

Thornhill College and St Columb's follow St Mary's Christian Brothers and Lagan College, both in Belfast, in scrapping the tests for a year.

In a joint statement, the governors said that young people had "faced a year of unprecedented challenge".

(SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood)

SDLP Leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood has welcomed this decision:

“I welcome the decision by Thornhill College and St Columb’s College to suspend academic selection for the 2022-2023 school year.

“Our schools are showing strong leadership and putting the wellbeing of their pupils ahead of an archaic testing system. This move recognises the stress that pupils, families and the whole community have faced as a result of COVID-19.

“Children and young people are under immense pressure at the minute. There is no justifiable reason to make that worse. The lack of proper schooling will disadvantage pupils, particularly from low-income families who cannot afford private tutoring. To continue with the tests in this context is fundamentally unjust.

“I understand that these schools have informed the Education Minister that they do not intend to use academic selection for the 2022-2023 school year. I hope, however, that this is the beginning of a process that will allow them to embrace alternative forms of selection in the best interests of our children.” 

(Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan)

This news has also been welcomed by Sinn Fein MLA Pat Sheehan:

"I welcome today's news that Lagan College in Belfast, as well as St Columb's College and Thornhill College in Derry will not be using academic selection tests to admit pupils for 2022. 

"More and more schools are taking this step and I would encourage other schools to follow. 

"Academic selection is unfair and puts children under immense and unnecessary strain. 

"There is a growing wealth of evidence from academics, schools, educationists and others for academic selection to be binned once and for all."