Decision to cancel AQE post-primary transfer test will lead to ‘unregulated scramble’ for school places says Jim Allister

Mr. Allister was responding to Wednesday evening’s announcement that the AQE transfer test which was due to go ahead at the end of February would not now go ahead because of Covid-19.

“While recognising the orchestrated pressure on AQE, I very much regret the cancellation of the February test.

“This will produce a largely unregulated scramble for transfer places and remove from the system a fair and objective system of transfer,” said the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader.

Mr. Allister said the cancellation of the test would embolden those in Northern Ireland who would like to see academic selection abolished permanently.

“The anti-selection lobby will now feel energised to pursue further their assault on our grammar schools – though some of them foolishly aided the process of aborting the AQE test by opting out.

“It is notable that those who did opt out were essentially those with fee-paying preparatory departments and they will now seek to bolster the future of their “preps” by showing favour in their admission criteria to those pupils, creating an inequity which the transfer tests prevented.”

Meanwhile, Stormont education minister Peter Weir said he was disappointed the transfer test had been cancelled.

He said transfer tests have never been compulsory for any school nor any student, but what they have provided for many has been parental choice and opportunity for children to gain a place at a post primary school of their choosing.

“Today’s announcement diminishes that choice significantly,” he said.

Contingency criteria should be finalised soon by schools and will be published by Northern Ireland’s Education Authority on February 2.

Mr Weir added: “Schools still have the opportunity to use either non-academically selective criteria or alternative data as a proxy for academic selection, but neither route is without its difficulties, and our previous guidance that they seek clear advice before they determine their course of action remains.”