Mr. Paul Caskey:

Educational attainment is a complex issue. People's perception will be based on five GCSEs, with results from A to C in subjects including English and mathematics, and the barometers associated with examination results. The big divide in Northern Ireland in terms of that crude barometer is between selective and non-selective schools. Most schools are on a par with one another, be they Catholic non-selective, integrated non-selective or controlled non-selective. There is a difference of approximately 1% at GCSE level. Catholic schools are approximately 0.5% ahead, followed by integrated schools, with controlled schools being marginally below that level. Sometimes it is presented that certain schools in certain sectors are outperforming others because of their ethos, but it is important to note that it is really about selection and non-selection. There are good, well performing Catholic schools and also poorly performing Catholic schools. It is no different in the case of integrated schools, controlled schools and grammar schools. Sometimes it is a very complex area, but these are the facts. Is that a fair description?