Ms Charmain Jones:

Deputy Brendan Smith spoke about targeting young people, particularly in disadvantaged areas. That is something Rural Community Network, RCN, has very much tried to ensure is at the fore of our agenda, particularly young people in rural areas. Dell had its united youth programme, which was for young people from the age of 14, to get involved in initiatives and programmes outside of school with a view to encouraging them towards education and employment, particularly in rural areas. I know RCN, along with a couple of officials in the department, has championed that to make sure those programmes are targeted specifically at children and young people who are disadvantaged.

Some of these young people may not have an opportunity to engage with each other in the school environment but certainly they can do it outside school.

Sport plays a major role, in particular the GAA and the IFA as well. A number of good initiatives are happening across Northern Ireland, for example the PeacePlayers International is another organisation that has been doing really good work across Northern Ireland to try to engage young people. I think it is the role of our sector to try to encourage young people to meet each other. If they are not meeting each other in school and a great many young people whom I meet daily are not meeting in school, they might meet each other on the way home from school. I was told the other day about a rumpus over some uniforms in the middle of the High Street. Any informal opportunity to meet outside school should be supported.

I am an advocate for the youth work sector, which I think does not get enough recognition from the informal education sector of what youth clubs and organisations and youth leaders can do for young people. Sometimes they can bring them on the journey to reconciliation more quickly than a school can. I know from experience that I have been able to bring young people on a journey that they would not have been able to do in school, but that was my role and I did that for three years.

When we are looking at education, we are not only considering formal education but the informal education sector does not get its fair share of recognition. There is much good work happening in Northern Ireland with bodies such as Youth Action Northern Ireland, that is doing good work, in rural areas in particular on the hard contentious issues such as parades, flags and emblems, engagement with civic society and democracy. It should be recognised that much good work is happening in the youth sector.