Lyttle calls Education Minister to Assembly Committee on academic selection announcement

Stormont’s Education Committee has backed Alliance MLA Chris Lyttle’s proposal to question the Education Minister on his decision to endorse the status quo on academic selection.

Mr Lyttle has also proposed an Education Committee Inquiry into post-primary transfer, after Minister Peter Weir issued new guidance meaning schools can prepare pupils for the unregulated AQE and GL assessments during regular class time.

“I appreciate some parents and teachers feel the Education Minister’s announcement will help improve the unacceptable status quo around academic selection, but is the formalisation of two sets of unregulated tests set by private companies to transfer our 10 and 11-year-old children into post-primary education the best we can hope for from this Minister?”

“This is a failure of political leadership and I am glad a majority of my Education Committee colleagues agreed to request the Minister attend our committee to answer questions on this important matter.

“The status quo is not acceptable and I hope the Education Committee will show responsibility by conducting an open and inclusive inquiry to allow consideration of all evidence on the best way forward for post-primary transfer in Northern Ireland.”

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