Call for action to tackle underachievement

Earlier this month the Sentinel reported how the percentage of school leavers achieving three or more A Levels or five or more GCSEs in the Waterside Neighbourhood Renewal Area in 2008/9 was lower than in other poor areas of Londonderry.

And the attainment level was also lower in the Waterside than in most other areas of Northern Ireland which are designated as deprived.

Now the group set up to look into this problem is calling for action to tackle the issue across Northern Ireland.

A Call to Action urges local politicans to make the problem a live issue in the forthcoming election campaign.

It states: “Our instinct is that we do not need more pilot work, nor much more research, but concrete action.

“The case for tilting funding towards the early years is made. So is the case for the Child Poverty Strategy. So is the case for encouraging social balance in schools. And so on!

“The research base is clear for all to see. What we need now is the ‘doing bit.’ The past six months’ work has been interesting and exhilarating. The evidence we received in many cases confirmed what we knew. In others, it broadened the horizons of our understanding.

“Our Call to Action is now for the political arena. We will host a dissemination event. Our work will be at the disposal of the Assembly’s Education Committee and the Department of Education.

“We hope it is discussed with vigour as an election issue in the May Assembly and local government polls. After that, the Working Group hopes to see action.”

Earlier this month Education Minister revealed the educational deficit in Londodnerry in response to an Assembly Question.

She showed just 20.7 per cent of school leavers from the Top of the Hill, Irish Street, Clooney, Tullyally, Currynierin and Caw areas achieved three or more A Levels in 2008/9 compared with 43 per cent in Outer North; 53.1 per cent in OuterWest; 34.4 per cent in Strabane; 41.3 per cent in Triax; and 21.1 per cent in Limavady.

School leavers from the Waterside Neighbourhood Renewal Area also achieved fewer A Levels than in most other renewal areas across Northern Ireland of which there are 36 in total.

Only in Rathcoole, Inner South Belfast, Inner East Belfast, Greater Shankill, Coleraine East and Bangor was the attainment level lower.

During the same academic year just forty-four per cent of pupils from deprived areas of the Waterside achieved at least five GCSES.

This was more than 30.4 per cent in Limavady but fewer than 59.9 per cent in Outer North; 66.2 per cent in Outer West; 51.6 per cent in Strabane and 60.7 per cent in Triax. And once again it was one of the lowest percentages across Northern Ireland’s 36 neighbourhood renewal areas.

Only Upper Ardoyne/Ballysillan, South West Belfast, Portadown North West, Limavady, Inner South Belfast, Inner East Belfast, Brownlow, Bangor, Ballymena had fewer pupils leaving with at least five GCSEs.