SDLP Education spokesperson Seán Rogers MLA has said that the Education Minister must do more to tackle underachievement and the Executive must deal with social disadvantage.
Speaking ahead of an Assembly debate on the subject today, Mr Rogers said: “Educational underachievement must be addressed wherever it is found. A recent Community Relations Council report confirms that underachievement is the major issue facing Northern Ireland’s young people and this must be tackled as a matter of urgency.
“The situation is most acute for Protestant males receiving free school meals, members of the travelling community and members of the Roma community. But it is important that we recognise that the problem exists right across our community.
“Low educational achievement puts young people at a severe disadvantage. It has adverse implications for employment and for economic recovery in this region.
“Our society can benefit enormously from tackling underachievement. I welcome the additional teachers in Key Stage 2 & Key Stage 4 to raise the number of students achieving 5 A*- C grades, but we need to clearly identify why our young people are underachieving and implement a strategy to address Educational disadvantage, irrespective of where it comes from. We must invest in all our children, if we are to build a successful economy.”
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