According to the BBC Catriona Ruane has suggested that any transfer tests the grammar schools set would also have to have an Irish translation so that pupils from Irish medium primary schools get an equal chance. Apparently failure to do this could lead to legal challenges from parents. Ballymena Academy, which intends to link up with Catholic schools to provide a verbal reasoning test, has approved an Irish language version but the Association for Quality Education has not made a final decision. The representative body for Irish-medium education in Northern Ireland, Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta, has written to grammar school groups about the matter. Spokesman Seán Ó Coinn said parents could remove their children from Irish language schools or take legal action if a suitable translation was not available. I doubt the AQE will have that much trouble translating their test into Irish and although Ruane is clearly still fighting a rear guard action, this latest attempt seems pretty feeble.
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