Cathal BarryThe head of the Catholic Principals Association (CPA) has welcomed Archbishop Eamon Martin’s “clear and unambiguous assertion” that “no young person should be turned away from a Catholic school on the basis of their mark in an entrance test”.
In a homily launching Catholic Schools Week in the North, the Archbishop of Armagh said “in this day and age no young person should be turned away from a Catholic school on the basis of their mark in an entrance test at the age of 10 or 11”.
Catholic schools “are called to serve all pupils and especially the poor and most disadvantaged of society”.
“We must always be on the lookout for those who are being left behind or neglected in any way in our Catholic education system,” Archbishop Eamon said.
CPA Chairperson Tony Devlin said he “totally rejects” the assertion that students are “not good enough” for certain schools.
“Archbishop Martin’s inspiring comments represent a challenge to all of us in positions of leadership in Catholic education. It is now incumbent on us to work together to build an educational system devoid of academic selection. Now is the time for change,” he said.