A PANEL established to examine educational underachievement met yesterday for the first time.
The panel of experts has been established to examine the links between educational underachievement and social disadvantage.
Its members met with education minister Peter Weir at Cregagh Primary School in Belfast after he announced their appointment on Tuesday in the assembly.
The panel was established as part of the pledges in the New Decade, New Approach agreement which restored devolved government in January.
It will be chaired by Dr Noel Purdy, director of the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement, based at Belfast's Stranmillis University College.
The other panel members are: Mary Montgomery, principal of Belfast Boys' Model School; Kathleen O’Hare, retired principal of Hazelwood Integrated College and former principal of St Cecilia's College; Joyce Logue, principal of Longtower Primary in Derry; Jackie Redpath, chief executive of the Greater Shankill Partnership; and Prof Feyisa Demie, an honorary professor at Durham University.
It will begin work in September in the hope that it can deliver its report at the end of May next year.
Speaking in the assembly this week, Mr Weir said: "I have been involved in the issue of educational underachievement, in particular for Protestant boys in receipt of free schools meals, since 2012. I have been passionate about addressing this persistent problem ever since.
“Every child in Northern Ireland, regardless of their community background, deserves a real chance in life.
"Since taking office at the start of this year I have been committed to establishing an expert panel as soon as possible. I believe this issue is simply too important to ignore."
