Commissioner welcomes new study and report on academic selection

The Children’s Commissioner, Chris Quinn, has welcomed a new Queen’s University Belfast study and ‘Exploring Academic Selection and Grammar Schools in Northern Ireland’ report.

Chris said: “The findings of this latest research reinforce what NICCY and many others have been saying for years: academic selection places unnecessary pressure on children, contributes to inequality and segregation, and does little to promote social mobility.

“More than 25 years have passed since the Burns Report recommended an end to academic selection, yet children in NI continue to sit high-pressure tests at the age of 10 and 11.

“The evidence base has continued to grow, but meaningful reform has not followed. What this report highlights once again is that the debate is no longer about whether there is evidence for change – the evidence has been available for many years. The challenge is finding the political will to act on it.

“Every child deserves an education system that values their potential, supports their wellbeing, and provides equality of opportunity, regardless of background or circumstance. NICCY continues to believe that it is time to bring academic selection to an end once and for all and to focus on building a system that works for all children and young people.”

Chris Quinn, NI Commissioner for Children and Young People

Find out more about the research here: https://www.qub.ac.uk/News/Allnews/2026/academic-selection-reinforces-inequality-sets-out-agenda-for-reform.html