Education Authority apologises as delay hits school placement portal

By Jonathan McCambridge, PA and Q Radio News

The Education Authority has apologised for delays faced by parents trying to access an online portal informing children which post-primary school they will transfer to in September.

More than 23,000 children will learn on Saturday which school they have secured a place in.

The outcome of the post-primary applications has been processed online for the first time, rather than letters being sent.

The portal went live on Saturday, having been brought forward by a week to allow schools and parents more time to confirm placements before the end of term.

But the Education Authority said on Twitter that an issue had led to a delay in the queuing system.

In a recent statement it said the issue has been resolved. 

“We experienced a technical difficulty this morning which caused problems for some parents attempting to log in to our online portal for post-primary admissions. We identified and resolved this issue as quickly as possible, whilst keeping parents informed with regular social media updates.

“In addition to the online portal, our admissions team are also providing one-to-one support to parents via a dedicated helpline number, email address and on our Facebook and Twitter channels.

“We appreciate that this is a hugely important day for children and their families and we apologise for any inconvenience or frustration caused by this morning’s technical difficulty. All of our support channels will remain open until 5pm today and will reopen at 9am on Monday morning.

“Parents with any concerns or queries are encouraged to contact  us on 028 9598 5595, or email postprimaryadmissions@eani.org.uk."

A total of 23,535 children are due to transfer to post-primary in September.

The Education Authority said more than 98% of children have been placed in a school of their choice, with almost 85% securing a place at their first preference school.

For the first time in decades, grammar schools did not use transfer tests to decide which pupils to admit this year after the Covid-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of the assessments.

Frances Meehan, assistant director for the Education Authority, said: “Moving applications online was the next step in our digital-first approach.

“It was especially important this year, given the Covid-19 pandemic, that we provided a simple solution that worked well for parents and we are delighted with the positive feedback we have received.

“Almost 85% of applicants were placed in their first preference school, with almost 99% of all children placed in one of their school preferences.

“We appreciate that this can be a stressful time for the parents and children who are not yet placed in a school and we will work closely with them to provide support and assistance to secure a suitable placement.”

Ulster Unionist education spokesperson Robbie Butler said the Education Minister must work with the Education Authority to ensure children who have not yet received a place are given priority.

He said: “Initially with around 85% of pupils getting their first choice, and the majority of children getting one of their top four choices, there still remains about 280 children unplaced.

“The minister for education, be that Peter Weir or Michelle McIlveen, must work with and equip the Education Authority and schools to ensure no child is left behind, a child-centred approach is taken, that no child is without a place for September, and that this is addressed as a priority.

“Last year I worked for many months after September, including with parents of children with a special educational need or statement, to secure placements for them, and this year a repeat will not be acceptable.”