Prior to the meeting in Antrim on Thursday night, Traditional Unionist Voice members held a silent protest to meet the minister as she entered the Comfort Inn.

Among the 100 present was Parental Alliance for Choice and Education spokesmen Bob McCartney and Stephen Elliott.

The minister said she wanted to create an education system which would put the child first.

We can together build an education system that creates children who are creative, intelligent and articulate," she said.

"I am disappointed that so few unionist parties have spoken out about the disadvantages in our education system, but I applaud those who have."

During the meeting, Mr Elliott called for the minister to afford the people of Ulster the same choice as she has been able to offer her own children.

After the meeting, Mr McCartney said: "I heard child-centred nonsense with pejorative language talking about educational apartheid and disadvantaged children from the Shankill.

"The reason for the low number of children from those areas going to grammar schools has got nothing to do with class. There are only two classes of parent – aspirational and non-aspirational."

Meanwhile, Ms Ruane told over 40 post-primary school principals earlier that she was determined to "stamp out the inequalities that remain" in Northern Ireland's education system.

Speaking at the Annual Conference of the Belfast Association of Post-Primary Principals in Ballygally Castle Hotel, she said: "Now is the time to grasp this opportunity for change and realise that we are on the cusp of creating an education system which is equal, stable and allows our children to reach their potential without the ordeal of assessment for the purposes of admission."