Top level meetings have been taking place at Stormont behind closed doors and involving the main political parties in a bid to resolve the deadlock on school transfer.

The meetings will continue over the Easter recess.

The Belfast Telegraph has learned that Sinn Fein has been willing to consider selection remaining beyond the last 11-plus tests later this year - as a temporary measure.

Following an agreement made at the St Andrews talks, academic selection will remain as part of an unregulated system if the Assembly does not reach consensus on a way forward.

In response to questions from the Belfast Telegraph, the Education Minister has also given the strongest hint yet that her department could allow selection to continue, at least in the short term, past this year.

Earlier this month, the minister also welcomed a proposal for an interim system put forward by grammar representatives the Governing Bodies Assocation - even though it included academic selection as an option for grammars.

When asked by the Telegraph if she was considering retaining selection in some form after the 11-plus goes, even as an interim measure, Ms Ruane said that some schools "will need time and assistance to adjust" and added that this is currently under discussion with educational stakeholders.

This is in stark contrast to her telling her scrutiny committee in January that academic selection was "unnecessary and unjust".

The minister also said in December: "There will be no 11-plus in 2009 - nor will I be asking primary school educators to ever again disrupt or interfere with the teaching of the revised curriculum in furtherance of a transfer test."

Sinn Fein's education spokesman Paul Butler said that his party is " firmly opposed to academic selection".

But he added that the changes to the education system require careful management and that there will be "a period of phasing out the old and phasing in the new".

"A school which chooses to opt out of the proposed new system will have to carry the burden of their choice in relation to any new transfer test," he also warned.

DUP education spokesman Sammy Wilson confirmed that talks are currently taking place between Sinn Fein and the DUP.

He said: "It is quite clear that people who previously closed their minds to the idea of selection now realise that it is going to be a fact of life. If there is no agreement then the fallback position is that schools will be able to use selection.

"It is our aim to bring the discussions to a fruitful conclusion but we have made it clear that we will not accept anything that compromises educational standards or involves us volunteering to give up academic selection. I can say that Sinn Fein has not given a blanket ban on any form of academic selection in our discussions."

UUP education spokesman Basil McCrea said: "All parties are actively engaged in negotiations. There is no consensus yet but it is coming through."

The Alliance Party and SDLP would like to see an end to selection but Alliance Party education spokesman Trevor Lunn said that if a small number of grammar schools wanted to set their own entrance exams they would be " happy to go along with that".