Four of the five main political parties at Stormont are due to sit down tomorrow to begin discussions on how the chaos in education can be sorted out.

The glaring absentee, at this stage, is Sinn Fein, the party to which Education Minister, Caitriona Ruane, belongs. It is our hope – a hope shared by thousands of parents and children – that Sinn Fein will take part in the “preparatory talks” aimed at addressing the current impasse over the transfer procedure from primary to second level schools.

All the parties, with the exception of Sinn Fein, have supported our petition calling on the politicians to hold focused discussions on the issue. The party says that its policy will not be dictated by the editorial stance of any news organisation and describes tomorrow’s planned talks as almost being sponsored by the Belfast Telegraph. The party’s stance does not bear scrutiny. This newspaper is not attempting to dictate education policy to anyone. It is not attempting to prescribe a solution to the transfer chaos. It is not even taking sides on whether or not there should be academic selection.

What our campaign calls for – and this is a desire backed by thousands of members of the public – is for politicians to find a way of avoiding the stress and anxiety suffered by parents and children this year. Children may have to sit up to five tests in the coming weeks in an effort to transfer to the school of their choice. Having axed the 11-plus examination, the Education Minister issued admissions criteria guidance to schools. However, 68 schools, divided almost equally between the state and Catholic sectors, have ignored the minister’s guidance and are setting their own admission tests.

Parents and children can follow the minister’s guidance and potentially miss out on the opportunity to go to the school of their choice. The children may also sit tests for one or both education sectors, although that also does not guarantee them a place in their preferred school. This is an indefensible situation. It does not materially matter who is at fault. What matters is that the chaos is sorted out before next year’s P7 pupils have to transfer to secondary level education.

As the legislators on education, it is up to the politicians at Stormont to reach an accommodation on the way forward. It is their duty to provide teachers, parents and children with clear pathways from primary to the secondary level education. That will involve hard choices and this newspaper does not underestimate the difficulties that the politicians will face in moving from their current entrenched positions. Nothing will be achieved by a refusal to discuss the issue and that is why we would welcome all parties sending representatives to tomorrow’s meeting.

It is quite clear that many meetings will be required before an accommodation can be found. However, surely the politicians must agree on one simple point – that the present situation is unsustainable. There has to be a solution. Just as education policy cannot be dictated by news organisations, nor can it be set by schools acting unilaterally and leaving themselves open to legal challenges. It is time for the politicians to prove the old maxim – politics is the art of the possible – still rings true.