THREE politicians rejected by the public at the assembly polls just weeks ago have been selected by their parties to make decisions that affect schools.
Two who lost their seats in the March election, and another candidate who failed in her Stormont bid, will take places on the Education Authority (EA).
A fourth politician, who served as an assembly member for nine years before being defeated in 2016, has also been chosen.
This means half of the EA's eight political members have unsuccessfully contested elections in the last year.
Observers said the fact so many were unsuccessful candidates made the EA akin to the Republic's Seanad in eyes of the north's parties.
The EA was established in 2015 taking over from the five area boards. It has a budget of £1.5 billion, employs 39,000 staff and is responsible for school transport, classroom staff and special educational needs.
It has a 21-member board, which includes eight political members. They do not have to be elected representatives. Parties nominate people based on their strength in the assembly.
The posts come with annual pay of £8,800 plus travel and subsistence allowances.
The DUP had three picks and chose former assembly members Brenda Hale and Jonathan Craig alongside David Cargo, the former BELB chief executive who provides education advice to the party. Mr Cargo has served the board since the EA was set up.
Mr Craig has also served on the EA, is a school governor and former member of the assembly education committee. He lost his assembly seat in Lagan Valley in 2016 and now serves as a DUP member of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council.
Mrs Hale, who failed in her re-election bid in Lagan Valley in March, was also an education committee member.
Two of Sinn Féin's three choices also missed out on the assembly in March.
The party chose Oliver McMullan, who was defeated in East Antrim, and Nuala Toman, who contested Upper Bann.
A research and policy analyst for Sinn Féin and disability support tutor at Queen's University Belfast, Ms Toman previously served on the EA board.
They join Monica Culbert, chair of the board of governors of De La Salle College in west Belfast.
The SDLP selected Giovanni Doran from Derry, a lay magistrate and director of Youthlife, while the UUP chose Dr Andy McMorran, the retired head of Ashfield Boys' High School in Belfast.
When the EA was first established in April 2015, the board contained no elected politicians or unsuccessful election candidates.
Instead, the DUP named a solicitor and the head of the Dickson Plan Concerned Parents' Steering Group alongside Mr Cargo while Sinn Féin had a member of the National Union of Teachers as well as Ms Toman and Ms Culbert.
The DUP last night said its selection was a matter of choosing the people with the best experience available at a particular time.
A spokesman said Mr Craig had experience as governor of two schools while Mrs Hale had been a classroom assistant.
Sinn Féin said its picks "have experience and skill in the field of education".
"With years of wide experience in politics Oliver McMullan has a vast range of skills and was a representative on the NEELB. Nuala Toman served as member of the EA in the last mandate," a spokesman said.
