Editing Eleven-plus (section)

=== Northern Ireland ===
The system in Northern Ireland differed from that in England. The last eleven-plus was held in November 2008.<ref>{{cite news | title = Future uncertain as 11-plus ends | publisher = [[BBC News Online]] | date = 21 November 2008 | url = http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/7740313.stm | access-date = 27 June 2009}}</ref> A provision in the Education Order (NI) 1997 states that "the Department may issue and revise guidance as it thinks appropriate for admission of pupils to grant-aided schools". Citing this on 21 January 2008, [[Department of Education (Northern Ireland)|Northern Ireland's Education Minister]] [[Caitríona Ruane]] passed new guidelines regarding post-primary progression as [[regulation]] rather than as [[legislation]]. This avoided the need for the proposals to be passed by the [[Northern Ireland Assembly]], where cross-party support for the changes did not exist.<ref>{{cite news|author=Anne Murray|url=http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/ruane-urged-to-publish-legal-advice-on-transfer-plans-14168692.html?startindex=-1#ixzz0Tu79HHLY |title=Ruane urged to publish legal advice on transfer plans – Education, News |newspaper=Belfasttelegraph.co.uk |date=3 February 2009 |access-date=17 October 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=8884&topic=Home%20affairs |title=The tricky path from peace to harmony |publisher=Public Service |date=21 January 2008 |access-date=17 October 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722055519/http://www.publicservice.co.uk/feature_story.asp?id=8884&topic=Home%20affairs |archive-date=22 July 2011  }}</ref> Some schools, parents and political parties object to the new legal framework. As a result, many post-primary schools are setting their own entrance examinations.