Twenty-four middle school students who failed a transfer exam will be promoted to senior school after a decision by the Ministry of Education's Appeals Committee.

According to the Ministry, "several" parents of those students affected made appeals on their behalf.

Their children, along with those whose parents didn't appeal, will be promoted to either CedarBridge Academy or Berkeley Institute.

The appeals were heard on August 26.

A Ministry spokesman said: "The Appeals Committee based their decision on what they felt were flaws in the process used to retain students. The committee determined that it was improper to change the function of the test given to M3 students from a placement test to an admissions test without providing both students and parents with advanced notice of the change.

"The committee also expressed concern that there seemed to be little communication between the senior and middle schools, as a number of the students who were due to be retained had gone through recognition or graduation ceremonies at the conclusion of middle school."

Last month, Acting Education Minister Kim Wilson said the students were given three chances to pass the test but failed each time to achieve 50 percent for English and mathematics.

The first exam was held during the Annual Exhibition and there were fears that students rushed their answers to get to the show.

Some students were able to sit the exam two and three times while other students weren't made aware of that option.

Education Permanent Secretary Kevin Monkman explained why the students were being promoted despite the appearance that some of them weren't academically ready.

"[It is] primarily because the Appeals Committee had concerns about the process that was used for the whole assessment, and which students should be detained. Once the Appeals Committee made their decision, we have to abide by their decision.

"The schools are putting together an intensive support system for these particular students and the department will be monitoring their progress. They will be doing everything they can to catch up.

"The important thing is this whole experience has opened some issues that need to be addressed in the middle schools to ensure that students are properly prepared."

Education Commissioner Wendy McDonell said the committee had reviewed all of the facts involved and had come to a fair conclusion.

"I am gravely concerned that some students who are leaving middle school may not be sufficiently prepared for senior school," she stated. "From this day forward, we must all do better to ensure that at-risk students have additional ongoing support and that their performance is closely monitored. As a system, we need to strengthen our current promotional policy."

Education Minister El James said: "We met with the chairmen of the boards of governors of CedarBridge Academy and the Berkeley Institute to explain the committee's decision. The chairman understood the decision, but continued to have concerns about the performance of some students."

The Minister said the Ministry and the senior schools would work together to make sure that all of the students entering S1 in September were given every opportunity to succeed.

He added: "We have an obligation to monitor the performance of each and every student, and we have to take that obligation seriously."

However Shadow Education Minister Grant Gibbons raised questions over the decision.

"The Appeals Committee report clearly confirms that this transfer exam process was badly handled by the Ministry from the start, despite the best of intentions.

"Once again poor communication between the Ministry and parents and students, and also internally about the purpose and results, undermined what should have been a straightforward transfer process."

He added: "I'm also worried the outcome will not be doing the 24 students in question a favour. They still failed the test after three attempts, which would suggest they are not sufficiently well prepared to tackle more demanding S1 and senior work, particularly as the Cambridge Curriculum is about to be implemented and is viewed as more demanding.

"I believe we now need assurance from the Ministry that their commitment to end 'social promotion' is still in place, despite being overturned by the Appeals Committee."