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Bishop calls for transfer solution
16 October 2009
A leading Bishop in Northern Ireland has called for a resolution to the ongoing debate regarding transfer tests for primary school-leavers.
Head of the Northern Ireland Commission for Catholic Education (NICCE) Bishop Donal McKeown blames a 'serious political failure' for the ongoing confusion over transfer processes for pupils entering private and state secondary education facilities in the region.
He told the Belfast Telegraph: '[This] battle […] has now been handed over to schools, and teachers, pupils, parents, governors and school owners are now left to resolve the issue.
'But politicians will have to find a solution sooner or later. As voters we expect them to seek out a solution now, when we need it, and not when it is politically convenient for them.'
He added that most Catholic sector schools in Northern Ireland have now come to the conclusion that academic selection for pupils aged 11 is not an acceptable practice.
There are currently 547 Catholic schools in Northern Ireland, responsible for the education of 45 per cent of the region's pupils.