Politics is a very fluid business, or at least it can be, once there is momentum change becomes inevitable. 

Even with its limitations, there have been examples of this within the Northern Ireland Assembly.  Five years ago not many would have confidently forecast the devolution of policing and justice, it’s amazing what momentum and commitment can deliver.  On a global scale there is any amount of examples not least the sweeping impact of Barack Obama’s rise to power but for me the falling of the Berlin Wall was an event that left an enduring impact.   Observing ardently as an A Level Politics student, I was struck by the celerity of the process.  It all seemed to happen so quickly, the fall of the Wall happened nearly as suddenly as its rise.  As Nelson Mandela said about political change, ‘it always seems impossible until its done’.  

And so this is how politics can be, with the promise of change for a more prosperous and fair society for all.    In contrast with a significant majority of our primary 7 pupils awaiting transfer test results at the beginning of next month, you cannot fail to consider the lack of consensus and dilatory nature of educational reform here in Northern Ireland.  It will soon be six years since the 11 plus was jettisoned, yet having just put twins through the transfer test process I’m wondering whether this state of educational flux that we are now in will still be in place when my two year old reaches that stage. 

Whatever about the shortcomings of the 11 plus, and there are many, it is surely better than the situation we now have with two sets of tests, AQE & GL, with some pupils sitting both over four weeks and the continued disruption to the agreed curriculum. 

There is also the impact of social inequality highlighted by OECD (Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development) who conducted research here at the end of last year and found that the unregulated tests created ‘social imbalance through private tutoring’.  While I understand and have personally been in the position of parents who don’t want their child to fall behind when their peers’ learning needs are being augmented, the process as it stands is not fair and equitable for all.  

We already have a system whereby families across all of society are finding the financial constraints of supporting children at level third level crippling, the primary school fiasco is surely a situation we can avoid.

There is also however an onus, throughout society, for more parents to impact change by playing an active role in their children’s education.  In Finland, one of the most revered education sectors in the world there is a culture of parents reading with their children at home and being an integral part of their education process.

Statistics show that the number of pupils taking our transfer tests has risen since they were first introduced with up to two thirds of primary 7 children now embedded in the process. The Department of Education, civic, church and other political leaders cannot continue to talk the talk and maintain the status quo on this issue but address these longstanding challenges in an open, transparent and inclusive way. 

Clearly parents aren’t happy with the alternative to the transfer system, there never actually appeared to be a structured format.  The most likely outcome would result in a number of schools becoming private with the remainder being public, fostering further segregation.

However all of this doesn’t take away from the fact that there are considerable shortcomings of any form of a transfer test.  My mother, a retired principal who taught in a school in West Belfast for over forty years is one of many who are strong advocates of their abolishment on purely educational grounds.  This view is supported by academic experts including OECD who stated that the tensions and polarised debate over the transfer test was having a significant impact upon children and their educational assessment.  The OECD was trenchant in their criticism of our political leaders and the stand-off that was allowing this process to persist.   Parents need to see an alternative and along with all the other stakeholders must be part of the engagement process, because as unsavory as the present system is, until there is a plausible alternative it is only likely to remain.

The Finance Department has been very clear on its plans to reform the public sector, engaging with stakeholders, setting up the public sector reform division and Minister Simon Hamilton visiting Denmark and Estonia to assess best practice – this has been a process of change that has been positive, communicating with stakeholders every step of the way and making them feel part of the process.

Perhaps the Department of Education, the Education Committee and the other political gatekeepers integral to this process have looked at best practice in the education sector elsewhere but if they have, they haven’t communicated it well and there appears to have been little stakeholder engagement, only entrenched political stand-off.

Back to Finland, over the last few years hundreds of foreign delegations and governments have visited Helsinki to gain knowledge and expertise on its successful schooling system which consistently tops the international league tables of the developed world’s education system.  There are some Finnish policies which are in place in schools here but one striking difference is the holistic approach to schooling in Finland, with primary and secondary sectors combined.  It is only at the age of 16, after 9 years of compulsory schooling that children transfer to either an academic or vocational school.  Children don’t start school until 7, with play based activity for younger children.

It also takes a completely different approach regarding assessment with no national testing inspection or league tables with the government sample testing 8% to 10% of student work and the teaching profession positioned on a par with medicine or law attracting the most talented students.

I’m not saying the Finnish system is educational utopia or that it is necessarily the right system for Northern Ireland, as much as anything there would be financial constraints but I am saying this current system cannot continue as we are failing our young people.  There has to be collective and mature dialogue across political, education, church & civic leaders on how to address this issue.  

This is not the falling of the Berlin Wall or changing the world, it is about getting a fit for purpose education system in a small region that everyone can buy into.  How hard can it be? 

Difficult to fathom that we’ve had this state of educational instability since Barack Obama was inaugurated.  We could do with some of that zeal, dynamism and momentum that swept him to power to help this process but this bread and butter issue is one where there can be no US intervention, Northern Ireland leaders both political and civic must deliver this one on their own.

Shane Finnegan is Client Director at Public Relations and Public Affairs Company, Aiken PR