"DUP Did Not Save Academic Selection"

Commenting after the final results from the final 11+, UUP MLA John McAllister said:

"It really is time that we nailed the DUP claim that they had "saved" academic selection at St Andrews. That is bunkum.

"Minister Ruane will issue guidelines to schools which will not include academic selection. But because there is no specific legal obstacles to prevent them from so doing, the AQE schools and the Catholic sector will introduce their own academic selection process.

"Academic selection is not in the Programme for Government. The Minister is under no legal or Executive Committee directive to promote or retain it.

"That it remains an option is solely because the grammar schools themselves are opting out and providing it. It is not government policy: it is the policy of the opt-out schools. And because it is unregulated, untested and entirely new no-one can be certain of its success, let alone its value.

"The DUP are hypocrites. It is not any action of theirs which has ensured that academic selection is still available. The opposite is true. It is their very inaction and inability which has forced some of our best schools into this cul-de-sac.

"I know of situations where governments put some projects out to tender. But here in Northern Ireland, we have the absurdity of grammar schools having to do their own tendering out.

"So please, would the DUP stop pretending that they and they alone have saved academic selection. They haven't. But what they have done is help Sinn Fein to create this present chaos and confusion.