Post-primary transfer tests have been cancelled as schools remain closed amid a surge in Covid-19 infections in the north.
The first of the tests, used to select pupils by the majority of grammar schools, was due to take place this Saturday.
Last night it was revealed that a period of remote learning for schoolchildren is to be extended amid soaring coronavirus cases.
Schools were originally to ropen on Monday January 11 but it is now thought they will stay closed into February.
The transfer tests are run by the Association for Quality Education (AQE) and the Post Primary Transfer Consortium (PPTC).
The AQE tests were due to go ahead on January 9, 16 and 23 while the PPTC tests were set for Saturday January 30 and Saturday February 6.
In a statement released this afternoon, the PPTC said: "PPTC accept that this decision may be disappointing to many children who would have welcomed the opportunity to take the assessment."
AQE said: "The board of AQE Limited met on 5th January 2021, and in light of the decision to close schools, has decided not to proceed with the tests planned for 9th, 16th and 23rd January 2021.
"The board will now be consulting with member schools, and a further statement will be issued after that."
With 12,507 fresh diagnoses of Covid-19 over the last seven days, ministers are also expected to order people to stay at home to stop the spread of the virus.
Meanwhile, Northern Ireland is set to receive £127 million from the Treasury for lockdown grants to support businesses forced to close.
Children's commissioner Koulla Yiasouma said: "A truly shameful day for education in Northern Ireland.
"We did not need to be in this situation.
"Proper contingency plans should have been put in place for transfer tests months ago, so schools, parents and children could have been better prepared for all eventualities."
However, some parents say it is too late to cancel the tests, which have already been delayed from autumn when they are normally sat.
Phil Meredith, from South Belfast, said his daughter has been working hard for the tests.
"All the hard work my daughter has been doing since the start of last year for this test is wasted," he said.
"All the stress and tears, and now it potentially isn't going ahead.
"My daughter has a better chance of getting into grammar school through the AQE rather than the sub criteria."
Naomi McBurney, who runs the campaign Bring It Back To Primary, said parents are very divided on the matter.
"There are parents who are very concerned that if their child doesn't get the opportunity to sit the test, then they are going to be disadvantaged; for example, if they have an eldest child or only child, the main thing for them would be that the test was a more fair way for them to get access to a school that they want to go to," she said.
"It's quite frustrating for those opposed to the test because they are saying the country has had to sacrifice so much.
"The problem is the alternative criteria for schools isn't transparent as yet. The 12 schools that said they would cancel the test back in June have indicated that it would be sub criteria - so if you had a child already at the school, or if you have a parent that had previously attended the school or a member of the family on the board of governors - similar to that of nurseries, not based on academic criteria."
Ms McBurney has been running a campaign which urges that children be allowed to sit the transfer test in their own school, instead of having to travel to a large testing centre.
She has also called for reform of the system, with testing regulated by the Department of Education and reduced from children potentially sitting up to five papers if they take both the AQE and PPTC tests, to one.
The department-set transfer test was previously abolished, with the last 11-plus paper sat in 2008.
Meanwhile, a Co Down principal warned that closing schools is a "disaster" for children.
Teachers should have been able to begin planning online lessons before Christmas, said Kevin Donaghy, from St Ronan's Primary School in Newry.
Instead they have had to duplicate everything for physical teaching conditions.
Mr Donaghy said: "My staff are completely devastated.
"We were all gearing up for coming back."
