The chair of a new group set up to tackle educational underachievement has said she wants urgent action to improve outcomes for all children.
New DUP junior minister Emma Pengelly has been chosen to head an assembly all-party group which will produce "key actions" on tackling poor standards.
There are concerns that too many children continue to leave school without any proper qualifications.
Ms Pengelly said she hoped to see progress made within months.
As a special adviser in the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister, Ms Pengelly was involved in the 'Delivering Social Change Signature Project'.
Designed to improve literacy and numeracy in areas of high deprivation, it was considered a success by schools but was wound up due to budget cuts.
The new all-party group will begin its work later this month.
Ms Pengelly, who was co-opted as an MLA in South Belfast in September and then elevated to the Executive last month, said "we need action and need it urgently".
She pointed to a recent report from the Equality Commission as emphasising the harsh reality of educational failure for too many young people.
In addition, Firm Foundations by the Progressive Unionist Party highlighted educational underachievement among Protestant working class children, she said.
Concerns have been raised that the focus of the group could be too narrow given recent statements by DUP members focussing on Protestant working class boys.
Sinn Fein minister John O'Dowd told the assembly this week that there was a need for a combined strategy for working class communities, Protestant and Catholic.
About 457 working class Protestant boys and 909 working class Catholic boys left school without proper qualifications last year.
Ms Pengelly said the new group would look at all communities.
"Taking out of it the Catholic/Protestant issue, a lot of the characteristics of low achievement are very similar. It tends to be males, urban areas, low socio-economic backgrounds," she said.
"There are significant failures across all groups, girls and boys, Catholics and Protestants, and some of the ethnic minorities. If we can find solutions, they will be solutions that will help everybody."
It is understood the group will begin by looking at the success of the Greater Shankill Children and Young People Zone, which works to improve the life chances of children in the area.
Ms Pengelly said she hoped the all-party group would report with recommendations in the new year.
"We know what the problems are so let's 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.
"We have an opportunity now to capture the imagination and look at actions, rather than again analysing the problems."
