A STUDENT leader has urged the north's political parties to deliver stable government - to prevent many young people leaving and never returning.
NUS-USI president Fergal McFerran said it was incumbent on politicians to focus their efforts on achieving the common agreement needed to deliver sustainable and stable devolved government in current talks.
Mr McFerran said students and young people need stability in the north to demonstrate that they there was a future for them at home.
Already, about 16,000 - one in four - students from Northern Ireland are enrolled at universities in Britain.
Before the assembly election, student leaders across Ireland and the UK urged politicians to build a stable and hopeful future for young people.
Mr McFerran and his colleagues in London and Dublin said students needed to see politicians demonstrate that investment in higher and further education was among their key priorities.
Now, the president of NUS-USI has said the gap that needs bridged by politicians following the election "may seem like it's as big as it's ever been".
"I believe it is not insurmountable. We are a resilient people, as are our politicians. I'm confident that with an open mind and a willingness to commit to mutual respect and understanding that our politicians can secure a stable future," he said.
"We have been in circumstances similar to these before, but the mood and context is arguably very different this time. The short few weeks ahead of us will undoubtedly shape our future for years to come.
"Whilst I believe a sense of urgency is important, so too is a renewed sense of good will to secure stable, sustainable devolved government, not as an end in itself but as the best mechanism to transform the lives of our citizens and to continue our society's journey of reconciliation."
Mr McFerran added that if there was ever a time that demanded mature political leadership, it was now.
"I would urge our politicians to reflect on their responsibility to return to the ideals of partnership, equality and mutual respect to build for the future in the common interest," he said.
"Students and young people want politicians to broker agreement and deliver a future for them which is worth staying for. Without stability and devolved government, I can see many, many young people and students leaving and simply never returning. That is already a reality, one which would be easily exacerbated by further political instability.
"If the platform that sustainable devolved government provides doesn’t exist, how can Northern Ireland create educational opportunities or grow the economy through job creation? Without the stability that devolution brings, doing this will be virtually impossible."
