Mr. Justin McCamphill:

In regard to career guidance, I do not know if there is that much difference between schools in different communities. What really stood out for me in the ESRI report is the higher bar that is required. I do not believe it is an equivalent bar for young people from Northern Ireland. Some 96% of students in Northern Ireland only study three A-levels, but they must have four to get a university place in the Republic of Ireland. Therefore, the career guidance that is given is going to make little difference. I am a former secondary schoolteacher. In fact, most students from Northern Ireland just view studying in the Republic at higher level as unattainable. In a way, the bar has been set to keep them out. I think that is the view across all education sectors.

On the issue of differential attainment in schools, that is not as wide as people assume. Much of it is to do with the differential impact on academic selection. If a grammar school place is easier to get for one community, then that distorts the rankings of different schools. Once you take that out of it, I do not believe the difference is that stark. There is actually still a long tale of underachievement among young Catholic people in the North as well. The real issue is academic selection.