The education minister has still not grasped the fact that academic selection is safeguarded in legislation.

She can propose whatever she wishes, but without the DUP consent that she requires in order to scrap the existing legislation on academic selection she will not get anywhere.

The 11-plus has given us nothing but academic division and is detrimental to parents, children and teaching in our primary school classroom.

It branded the majority of our children as failures and has an adverse impact on many in terms of their sense of worth and esteem.

The proposals made by Caitriona are forward thinking, progressive and promote equality of education.

Whatever debate now follows about the new transfer arrangements being proposed, Save the Children hopes that the scrapping of this high stakes examination will be generally welcomed by parents and all shades of political opinion.

In the interests of children due to take the final test next year, and those currently in P5, the widest possible consensus about the way forward needs to be reached as quickly as possible

Quite rightly, parents will have many questions as to how this new system will operate.

For example, with the focus now on the age of 14, how will the minister address problems of over-subscription and possibly selection by postcode?

What steps will she take to avoid a postcode lottery and the related pressures on the housing market? How will the 'community, geographical and family' criteria be applied?

At a stroke with an ill-considered statement she has put back educational reform significantly.

By concentrating on academic selection she has missed the opportunity to focus on the areas of real need.

She has squandered the opportunity to tackle the real causes of educational underachievement.

At last we have a model which will take the province's schools forward, a model which will fit our children for the challenges of the world they will encounter in their future.

The concept of pupils choosing their paths - academic or vocational - at 14 has always been our central tenet and we would welcome the Minister's announcement.