Selection Challenged

The Case Against Selection for 11+
By Dr Alastair Walker

As featured by the Belfast Telegraph on 22nd Feb 2010. Follow-up article in Belfast Telegraph here. Also discussed on Good Morning Ulster on 23rd Feb 2010 and Hearts and Minds on BBC on 4 March 2010.

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“Selection is justified by a simplistic ‘end justifies the means’ mantra, doubtful on moral terms alone, built on the fallacy that correlation equals cause and assisted by distorted views of what is happening elsewhere. Our children deserve better of us.”

The prolonged debate on academic selection has seen much publicity and many articles published on the topic. However, until the publication of Selection Challenged, there has not been a single source that sets out clearly the arguments against selection. News coverage of the debate about selection for 11+ has been rather sporadic, citing arguments of the moment instead of looking at how the present situation came about.

Written by the former Head of Education Services in CCEA, Dr Alastair Walker, Selection Challenged looks back through the last 60 years to see how we came to be where we are now. It considers the various attempts that have been made at devising a reliable and acceptable means of implementing selection, studies the research evidence surrounding the subject, examines the situation in other places and looks critically at the arguments used to justify selection.

“Change in education needs to be more carefully managed than in almost any other context. Mistakes inevitably lead to children being hurt, emotionally or educationally. The present impasse illustrates the point dramatically.”

Additional Information

The Author

Dr Alastair Walker retired as Head of Education Services in CCEA in November 2004, where he had overall responsibility for the education output of the organisation across curriculum, examinations and assessment. This included oversight of the sitting and marking of the Transfer Tests for a period of 10 years from 1994. Previously he was in charge of the Research and Development Department and for a time was Chair of the Inter-Board Research Committee for the GCSE. Earlier in his career he taught Chemistry in two grammar schools in England at a time when the issue of ending selection was one of constant debate and comprehensive re-organisation was at its height. Currently he works part-time as a self-employed education consultant, is a Trustee of National Museums of Northern Ireland and is Chair of the Board of Directors of W5.