Sinn Féin MLA Pat Sheehan has backed calls from a leading teaching union to suspend controversial academic selection tests planned for later this year. 

Pat Sheehan said: 

“Academic selection tests are unfair, unnecessary and need to stop.

“At its annual conference, the Irish National Teachers Organisation called for academic selection tests to be suspended again this year to avoid putting young children through mental anguish. 

“This is the latest in a series of mounting calls for academic selection to be scrapped. 

“I would call on schools still planning to use academic selection to listen to this call from the trade union, as well as the voices of experts, parents and others and abandon academic selection once and for all.”