It’s not quite the unequivocal defence of the right to academic selection that I’d like to see, but the latest word from Donal McKeown is considerably better than his earlier ones.

The head of the commission for Catholic education has said he does not blame schools for working on an entrance exam in the absence of a government test.

Bishop Donal McKeown said he could understand why some Catholic schools had decided to support the move.

However, it should be noted once again: Bishop McKeown is a product of the system of academic selection, and ran a bloody good grammar school for a number of years. It’s less than ideal to see him being less than fully supportive of the only system of secondary schooling not to be proven not to work.