DETAILS of how many extra places have been given to post-primary schools to cope with high demand have been shared by the Department of Education.
A few dozen P7 children due to transfer to secondary school in September are yet to secure a spot.
There has been a steady rise in the number of pupils transferring - more than 10 per cent in the last three years.
This means hundreds have been left initially unplaced due to popular schools being oversubscribed - even though there are thousands of empty desks elsewhere.
About 280 pupils from a total of more than 23,000 were without a place last Saturday. Many have since been accommodated.
Some parents are angry that their children have missed out on grammar schools this year.
Almost all grammars operated non-academic criteria after entrance exams were cancelled.
This caused applications to spiral and it is expected there will be a record number of appeals. These appeals will only be upheld if a school fails to adhere to its published criteria - not if a parent simply thinks they were unfair.
The fallout is causing the first major headache for new Education Minister Michelle McIlveen.
Her department can allocate additional places where there is a need and planning for this year's transfer process started in 2019.
Parental preference cannot be modelled, and the absence of entrance tests made this work even more challenging, however.
Up until last weekend, a total of 828 additional Year 8 places had been allocated to schools across the north.
Ms McIlveen said this work would continue.
Asked where these extra places were located, the department provided The Irish News with a detailed breakdown.
There were 351 pre-approved spots created through the Additional Places Exercise. In addition, there have been 477 `temporary variations'.
Separate figures from the Education Authority show that Belfast remains the most under-pressure area - with 78 children yet to be placed by Wednesday.
North Belfast had 29 pupils unplaced, in an area where several schools have already been given enrolment boosts.
East Antrim was the only constituency outside Belfast where the number of unplaced pupils was 20 or higher.
Sinn Féin education spokesman Pat Sheehan said Ms McIlveen needed to act urgently.
"The post primary admissions fiasco is a direct consequence of the previous education minister's failure to undertake the necessary contingency planning for alternative transfer arrangements this year," he said.
"There are thousands of available places across our system, the issue is that the available places are in the wrong areas. This points to a lack of strategic planning and organisation on behalf of the previous minister and the department.
"Minister Mclveen must work quickly and closely with colleagues in the Education Authority to bring this uncertainty for families to an end."
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SCHOOL EXTRA PLACES
Abbey Christian Brothers 2
Antrim Grammar School 24
Aquinas, Belfast 20
Ashfield Boys', Belfast 30
Assumption, Ballynahinch 10
Ballyclare High School 1
Ballymena Academy 20
Ballymoney High School 2
Banbridge Academy 8
Bangor Academy 31
Belfast High School 2
Blessed Trinity, Belfast 10
Dalriada School, Ballymoney 7
Dean Maguirc, Carrickmore 36
Dominican College, Belfast 10
Down High School 5
Drumragh Integrated, Omagh 28
Fivemiletown College 4
Fort Hill IC, Lisburn 1
Glastry College, Ballyhalbert 6
Glenlola Collegiate, Bangor 1
Grosvenor Grammar, Belfast 20
Integrated College Dungannon 20
Lagan College, Belfast 7
Limavady Grammar School 6
Lisneal College, Derry 21
Magherafelt High School 5
New-Bridge IC, Banbridge 8
Newtownhamilton High 3
Our Lady and St Patrick's 32
Our Lady's, Newry 28
Parkhall IC, Antrim 18
Rainey Endowed, Magherafelt 12
Rathfriland High School 3
Saintfield High School 4
Slemish College, Ballymena 10
St Catherine's, Armagh 25
St Colman's, Newry 15
St Colm's, Draperstown 7
St Columbanus', Bangor 20
St Dominic's, Belfast 21
St John the Baptist, Portadown 4
St Joseph's, Donaghmore 32
St Joseph's, Crossmaglen 11
St Kevin's, Lisnaskea 5
St Louis, Ballymena 6
St Malachy's, Belfast 50
St Mark's, Warrenpoint 21
St Mary's, Magherafelt 12
St Patrick's Ac, Dungannon 15
St Patrick's Col, Dungannon 22
St Patrick's, Maghera 3
St Patrick's, Downpatrick 10
St Patrick's, Keady 2
St Paul's, Bessbrook 38
St Pius X, Magherafelt 30
Strathearn, Belfast 10
Ulidia IC, Carrickfergus 10
Victoria College Belfast 2
Wallace High School, Lisburn 1
Wellington College, Belfast 1
