They were just one mother and child — but they represented the frustration and hopes of many thousands more.

Catherine Lemon and her daughter Niamh brought the voices of 10,000 people across Northern Ireland to the steps of Stormont when they handed over demands for a resolution to the long-running school transfer stalemate directly to the politicians in power.

The Gilnahirk mum and daughter presented the signatures of all those who have so far backed the Belfast Telegraph’s Sit Down, Sort it Out campaign to members of the education committee on the steps of Parliament Buildings on Saturday. The campaign is calling on the five main political parties at Stormont to agree on the best way to replace the 11-plus after it was scrapped last year, making way for this year’s unregulated grammar school testing.

Catherine and Niamh were among up to 200 people — including parents, teachers and children — who gathered at the front gates of Stormont to walk the steep mile up to Parliament Buildings with three boxes containing the signatures.

The walk began shortly after 12.30pm when Belfast Telegraph editor Mike Gilson addressed the assembled crowd.

He said: “This is about the thousands of P7 pupils who have been sitting through the new exams and it is also about the P6 kids and how they may walk into the same chaos being experienced this year.

Video: Gary Grattan and Kathryn Torney report from Stormont

“It is clear that the politicians have to sit down and sort it out. This issue is too important to mess around with. It is right that people put aside historical differences and work for the future. The Belfast Telegraph will keep up its campaign until we get action.”

Despite early predictions of wind and rain, the weather was kind as we marched up to Parliament Buildings.

People talked as they walked, some holding placards and |others carrying the boxes of |petitions, and the sun came out from behind the clouds to shine strongly as we approached Carson’s Statue.

Watching the crowd snake up the Prince of Wales Avenue were representatives from the education committee.

Mervyn Storey (DUP chair of the committee) was joined on the steps at Parliament Buildings by his party colleague Michelle McIlveen, Sinn Fein’s John O’Dowd, Trevor Lunn from the Alliance Party, Ulster Unionist Basil McCrea and the SDLP’s

Dominic Bradley and Mary Bradley. UUP party leader Reg Empey and DUP deputy leader Nigel Dodds also stood with the politicians.

Catherine and Niamh, who is in P6, were joined by P6 pupil Sinead Walsh from Toombridge to hand over the petitions to Mr Storey with the crowd of supporters following behind them.

Mr Storey said: “This will not just be a vain trip to Stormont. I trust there will be an outcome.

“That is why we have sat down (for party talks) and I wish that all the parties would sit down very soon so that we can get business done.”

This was followed by comments from representatives of each of the parties.

Many parents cheered and some shouted “Here, here” when Mr McCrea said that there should have been an alternative ready before the 11-plus was scrapped. “That is dawning on all of us now,” the UUP education spokesman added.

Following the formal presentation, everyone milled around on the famous steps and conversations took place between parents and the politicians and others who have backed the campaign.

There were a number of angry exchanges between parents and Mr O’Dowd as a number of them challenged him on what his party would do to break the current deadlock.

We are still collecting petitions. To add your name, go to www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/petition .