AN all-party group set up to tackle educational underachievement has held its first meeting - with members of just one party showing up.
Junior minister Emma Pengelly last month proposed the new group to produce agreed key actions on tackling educational underachievement and promoting excellence for all.
The group is yet to be formalised but an initial meeting to request its creation took place this week, with only the DUP represented.
Nelson McCausland, a member of the education committee, said 13 assembly members attended the first meeting and "they were all members of the DUP".
"I was pleased to be elected vice-chair of the APG (all party group) as this is a very important issue and the turnout of DUP MLAs reflects the fact that we take this very seriously," he said.
Ms Pengelly had said members would work together to "identify evidence based actions and projects that will make a real difference".
"The aim is to have key actions produced by the end of January and that costed proposals will go forward to the Department of Education as soon as possible thereafter," she said.
