Thousands yet to apply for Northern Ireland post-primary school places

The Department of Education has said it is short of around 24,000 applications for post-primary school places.

The figures were revealed just a day before the deadline for applications to secondary school.

So far 18,548 applications have been submitted.

In statement, a spokesperson for the Department of Education said: “If an application is late it cannot be considered until all those received by the deadline have been considered. 

"This means that a child is highly unlikely to be able to access an oversubscribed school and may have a very limited choice available when all punctual applicants have been placed.”

The Education Authority has also written to primary schools to ask for their help in reaching those parents who have not yet applied.

Anyone who has yet to put in an application can do so on the Education Authority's website.