WHILE performance tables tell only part of the story in terms of the work carried on in our schools, they do provide parents and teachers with key information on exam results and can help the overall drive for improvement.
In its Programme for Government, the executive has set a key target of improving numeracy and literacy, aiming to increase the overall level of students leaving school with at least five GCSEs, including maths and English.
The lists in relation to non-grammar schools reflect those with the highest proportion of pupils achieving this target and it is clear some schools have made great strides forward on these key areas.
The principal of the top performing non-grammar school, St Eugene's College, Roslea, said their exam success was as a result of hard work and taking on board recommendations from various education bodies.
The second school on the table, St Comghall's College in Lisnaskea, pointed to a focus on English and maths and interventions such as reading recovery.
More than half the pupils at this school are entitled to free school meals but the principal, Gary Kelly, maintains that their success shows that high levels of social disadvantage ``does not mean a child can't achieve outstanding results.''
Although these Fermanagh schools have made considerable progress, they are both set to be closed and replaced by a 650-pupil college in September.
The tables also give an insight into some of the wider trends in education with results showing that pupils at rural secondary schools perform better than those in Belfast and Derry.
It is a different story when it comes to grammar schools with city schools tending to outperform those from rural areas.
Of course, parents need to look at everything a school has to offer when they set out to choose what is best for their child.
However, the various measures aimed at improving standards in literacy and numeracy need to be encouraged.
