‘Paramilitary recruiting of youths still goes on’ says MLA who links terror gangs to pupil underachievement

That is according to UUP MLA for Lagan Valley Robbie Butler, who told the Stormont education committee today that such practices are “still very much happening today”.

He was speaking as the committee heard from a panel of education professionals, who have been tasked with producing a report on why sections of society (such as working class Protestant boys) consistently get lower grades or fewer qualifications than many of their counterparts.

The five-person team – formally called the ‘Expert Panel on Underachievement’ – was quizzed by videolink by MLAs.

When it came to Mr Butler to speak he said: “One thing we have in NI that’s unique to us is the prevalence of criminality and terror groups – who still recruit particularly young males in those areas that are most affected.

“So can you tell me how we’re going to tackle that once and for all? Will the PSNI be involved? Will the Education Authority be engaging away?

“Because it’s my understanding that is still very much happening today and must be factored into the discussion.”

The panel’s Dr Noel Purdy, of Stranmillis College in Belfast, replied: “It’s an area we haven’t considered yet [but] it’s an area which I’m sure will come up in the course of the oral evidence sessions when we go out into the communities and meet community leaders, and parents as well.

“So it’s not something we’ve started looking at yet. But thank you for raising it. I’m sure it’s something be able to look at in the coming months.”

SDLP MLA Justin McNulty (Newry & Armagh) told the panel: “Six months until your interim report. And eight months until your final action plan. You’ve a major, major body of work to get through in that time frame. Is that achievable?”

Dr Purdy said it would take a combination of “hard work” and “passion” to hit those deadlines – and he is “confident” they will make it in time.

The notion of setting up such a panel was agreed as part of January’s ‘New Decade, New Approach’ deal.

It was designed to restart Stormont’s power-sharing government after years in abeyance, following Martin McGuinness’ decision to collapse the Executive in January 2017.

The text of the deal states: “The Executive will establish an expert group to examine and propose an action plan to address links between persistent educational underachievement and socio-economic background, including the long-standing issues facing working-class, Protestant boys.”

The deal had also pledged “a targeted and specific focus across government to tackle paramilitarism”.

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