Children from low-income families are on average three times more likely to fail their 11-plus transfer tests than those from well-off backgrounds, said the North's Education Minister.
Speaking during Ministers' Question Time, Mr Martin McGuinness said in the mainly Protestant state school sector the failure ratio was as high as five times for poor pupils, a figure that had remained unchanged for the last three years.
Facing questions on the Burns Report, which has recommended a fundamental overhaul of the transfer tests, Mr McGuinness said the statistics proved changes were urgently needed. "This clearly demonstrates a need for a change to the current system. It is absolutely unacceptable that children from disadvantaged backgrounds constitute only eight per cent of enrolments in grammar schools. I believe the objective of any post-primary arrangements must be to ensure that all pupils are able to progress and fulfil their potential.
"I firmly believe that every child should have the opportunity to succeed, regardless whether they are from the Falls, the Shankill, the Bogside, the Waterside, Crossmaglen or Portadown, regardless of their colour and creed." His Department had received 100,000 responses during the public consultation on the Burns Report, which concludes at the end of the month. He was determined to publish the results by the end of September, he said.
"We have been involved in a valuable, constructive debate in which many different groups have had their say . . . We are facing the challenge of putting a system in place that is stronger than the present and fit institutions round the needs of children, not the other way round," he added.
Women's Coalition MLA Prof Monica McWilliams urged Mr McGuinness to provide money for schools targeted in sectarian attacks. The Minister said community leaders and politicians had a responsibility to use their influence to stop such attacks given that his Department's resources were limited.
During Health Minister's Question Time, Ms Bairbre de Brún said she hoped to allocate funds to extend breast screening for women aged 65 to 70, even if such a move would increase the workload of staff fourfold. There were, however, no plans to introduce blanket screening for women aged 40 to 50.
In other business, the Finance Minister, Dr Sean Farren, introduced the first stage of the Marriage Bill, which will widen the choice of venues for marriage ceremonies.