CANCELLATION OF TRANSFER TEST CAUTIOUSLY WELCOMED BY FAMILIES BUT CLARIFICATION GOING FORWARD NEEDED
KRW LAW LLP (KRW) is instructed by a number of Parent 7 families whose children were approaching Transfer Tests on 9 January. Those tests have now been cancelled following the recent announcement of a further Covid-19 lockdown in Northern Ireland.
Kevin Winters, Solicitor and Senior Partner, KRW LAW LLP said:
“Given the level of planning that AQE Limited provided at the last minute, under pressure of litigation, we consider that the Transfer Tests would have had to have been cancelled regardless of the latest lockdown. It was always questionable that those organising for pupils gathered together to take these tests would be in breach of Covid-19 regulations and in breach of public health guidelines and place these children at considerable risk of infection.”
We consider the Minister of Education and other agencies still have decisions on this matter to answer for. His department were issuing public exams guidance to schools and test providers. We are not aware that this guidance was signed off by the Public Health Authority or the Chief Medical Officer for application to the Transfer Tests which are not public exams like GCSE, AS and A-Levels (now also cancelled) and would have seen children travel and mix in schools that are not their own primaries or bubbles.
On behalf of P7 families we expect clear guidance and compliance with all Covid-19 regulations when the private test providers have permission to organise them again including risk assessments”