NI post-primary transfer test front and centre of what Executive will discuss when it meets today

The Executive had been due to meet on Thursday but the meeting was rescheduled for Friday because some ministers had to attend the funerals of family members,

The AQE post-primary transfer test has been front and centre of political debate all week.

AQE announced at the beginning of the week that the transfer test would not go ahead this year because of Covid-19.

However, the clarity was short-lived when, hours later, AQE announced its intention to proceed with the examination at the end of February.

Education Minister, Peter Weir, has responded to critics telling them that he does not have the power to stop the test from going ahead but did insist that any examination would be subject to public health advice.

Minister Weir announced on Wednesday his decision to close all schools until the middle of February,

Minister Weir also confirmed that A-level and GCSE examinations would not be going ahead in 2021.

Deputy First Minister, Michelle O’Neill, has called for the test to be cancelled however First Minister Arlene Foster has accused some critics of the transfer test of using Covid-19 as a way to do away with the examination.