New report highlights the costs of Government cuts to children and young people in Northern Ireland

Download the report by clicking on the image above.

Today, a group of researchers from Ulster University, Stranmillis University College, Newcastle University, and Queen’s University Belfast have launched a report outlining the catastrophic consequences of the cuts to education for children and young people in Northern Ireland.

The authors make the case for immediately ending the reliance on civil servants to make policy decisions.

The report argues that cuts to education are being made with minimal input from the UK Government and little say from Northern Ireland’s own elected representatives, undermining the principle of political accountability and public sector equalities duties.

The authors paint a devastating picture of how the cuts will disproportionately impact the most disadvantaged children and young people in our communities. The short-term savings will be dwarfed by the costs of poverty, deprivation, and mental health issues in the longer run.

New Decade, New Approach committed the NI Executive ‘to establish an expert group to examine the links between persistent educational underachievement and socio-economic background and draw up an action plan for change that will ensure all children and young people, regardless of background, are given the best start in life’.

The expert group’s action plan, ‘A Fair Start’, was published in June 2021 and provided a fully costed roadmap to closing the educational attainment gap.

However, the report launched today argues that the removal of, or deep cuts to, schemes such as those to alleviate holiday hunger, period poverty and digital inequalities, as well as to initiatives to support children’s mental wellbeing and reduce the pandemic learning gap, undermines the realisation of the recommendations made in ‘A Fair Start’.

The report suggests that the situation for children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) is particularly severe. The Education Authority’s budget for the transformation of the SEN system is due to be cut by 50% despite the fact that there has been a 24% increase in the number of children with statements over the past 5 years, with hundreds of children awaiting specialist placement for September.

The report’s overarching finding is that cuts will have an unfair cumulative impact on groups which are already disadvantaged, in terms of their experience of education provision. There is a clear and unequivocal breach of educational rights contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick (Ulster University), who convened the group of researchers, said:

“The cuts to education will undoubtedly increase poverty and hardship for many households in Northern Ireland, but particularly those with the lowest incomes – such as those children entitled to Free School Meals.”

“These cuts are coming at a time when high inflation doggedly persists, with food prices rising at a startling rate. The loss of holiday hunger payments will cause significant harm to children and their families, and there will undoubtedly be children who will not receive the nutrition they need to thrive.”

“The high costs of school uniforms will add further stress to finances that are stretched to the limit. Despite the 20% increase in the uniform allowance last year, NI still lags provision in England, Scotland and Wales.”

 Professor Noel Purdy (Stranmillis University College) lead author of ‘A Fair Start’ said:

“This is a catastrophic situation for the provision of education in Northern Ireland. It is the most punitive budget that has ever been delivered to the Department of Education, at a time when more support is needed to account for the pressures caused by the cost-of-living crisis.”

“The cuts will further exacerbate educational underachievement for those children already identified as having persistent low attainment rates, including children entitled to Free School Meals, ethnic minority children and children in care.”

“Furthermore, the Special Educational Needs system is on its knees and is failing to ensure appropriate access to education for the most vulnerable children in our society. Unless we see urgent transformation, policy progression and real investment, the system faces collapse.”

DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE.

Notes:

  • The ‘rapid response’ report was completed between May-June 2023.
  • The researchers received no external funding or payment for this work; however, we are grateful to have received an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Impact Acceleration grant from Queen’s University, Belfast, which allowed us to organise a launch event at Currie Primary School.
  • Each contributor wrote or co-wrote at least one section of the report corresponding to their specific research expertise and experience and have drawn together research evidence from a wide range of primary and secondary sources.

The cuts the researchers are aware of are:

  • An end to Free School Meal Payments during holiday periods (‘Holiday Hunger Scheme’) which provided 96,300 children with £27 a fortnight.
  • An end to Happy Healthy Minds
  • An end to Engage
  • An end to the Digital Devices scheme
  • An end to the Baby Book scheme
  • A pause on capital development
  • 28 New school projects paused
  • A 40% cut to Free Period Products budget
  • A 50% cut to the Shared Education budget
  • A reduction in Nurture funding from £70 million to £62 million
  • An end to schools coaching programme run by Irish Football Association (IFA) and Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA)
  • An end to funding available to Young Enterprise NI
  • A pause on a cashless scheme for schools
  • A depletion of funding available to Extended Schools
  • A significant shortfall in resource for pupils with SEN
  • A pause on the recruitment of school crossing patrols

Stranmillis congratulates educators recognised in King’s Birthday Honours List

The recently announced King’s Birthday Honours List recognises those who have made a very significant contribution to society. In Northern Ireland this year, the list includes many honoured for their services to Education.

Commenting on the announcement of the list, Prof. Jonathan Heggarty, MBE, Principal and CEO of Stranmillis University College said.

“On behalf of Stranmillis University College, I would like to congratulate all those whose dedicated service to education has been recognized this year. Education touches everyone in Northern Ireland and plays a key role in building better futures for all. The number of honourees for their services to education reflects the vital role played by teachers, leaders, officials and all others involved in education.”

“Our special congratulations go to Queen’s University Belfast Vice Chancellor Professor Ian Greer DL, who was Knighted in the Honours List. A world-renowned academic and leader who has lead Queen’s University since 2018, Professor Greer has made a significant impact on Queen’s University, the wider education landscape and the reputation of Northern Ireland, nationally and internationally.”

“We are also particularly delighted that one of our Board of Governors, Mrs Heather Miller has been awarded a MBE for her services to education.”

“Our sincere congratulations also go to:

  • Professor Vincent Fusco, Queen’s University Belfast, awarded the CBE; Shirley Jones, Department of Education; Roisin Marshall, Chief Executive Officer, Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education; Fiona McDonald, Principal, Drumnamoe Nursery School and Sharon Tennant, lately Principal of Sandelford Special School, who were all awarded the OBE
  • Professor Ruth Fee, Ulster University; Catherine Humphrey, Principal, Groggan Primary School; Sean Dillon, Principal, Primate Dixon Primary School; and Wilson McCluggage, Queen’s University Belfast, who were all awarded the MBE
  • Gillian Gough, for services to education in Co. Armagh, Veronica Hammersley, School Crossing Patrol Officer, Patrick McCullough, Queen’s University Belfast and Dorothy Moore, Crumlin Integrated Primary School, who were all awarded the BEM.”

Transfer Talk! Share your experiences of school transfer without tests

Would you like to share your experiences of school transfer without tests in 2021?

Stranmillis University College and the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) would like to hear about the experiences of school pupils and parents of school pupils who were in P7  when transfer tests were cancelled due to Covid-19.

This research project is entitled Transfer Talk: Exploring the lived experiences of NI school transfer without tests in 2021, and has been funded by the Office of the Mental Health Champion for Northern Ireland, a follow up to our recent Nuffield-funded project entitled “Testing Times”.

To gather your views, we have created two online surveys.

If you are the parent of a pupil who was P7 in 2020/2021, please click here.

If you are a pupil who was P7 in 2020/2021 please click here to access the survey for you

When you enter the survey you will find more information on the research.

Surveys close at midnight on Friday 30th June 2023.

If you have any questions, you can email the lead researcher Prof Noel Purdy (n.purdy@stran.ac.uk).

Grammar vs Non-Grammar in NI: new report highlights consistently stark social differences in pupil intake

Testing Times – Northern Ireland Post-Primary School Transfer without Tests in 2021, a new research report from Stranmillis University College’s Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU), examines some of the lessons from the ‘non-testing’ year of post-primary transfer in Northern Ireland, when AQE and GL tests were postponed and eventually cancelled as a result of Covid-19 public health concerns.

The issue of post-primary transfer by means of academic selection has been the focus of a highly polarised policy debate in Northern Ireland (as in other jurisdictions) for many years.  With the cancellation of transfer tests for P7 pupils in 2020-21, grammar schools were forced to develop a range of alternative admissions criteria, quite different from previous years.

This timely research project, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, seeks to capture the learning from this unique year, by examining the range of admissions criteria adopted by grammar schools, assessing the impact of these on the social and demographic background of pupils accepted into grammar and non-grammar schools, and evaluating the impact on the distance for pupils to travel, in comparison with previous years.

The study found that:

  • Grammar schools exercised their freedom to set their own admissions criteria in the non-testing year, prioritising having an older sibling already at the school; having already registered for the AQE/GL tests in that year; being the eldest/first/only child in the family; having a sibling who was previously enrolled at the school; and attending a listed feeder primary school.
  • Additional information provided to parents alongside the admissions criteria frequently highlighted grammar schools’ commitment to academic selection as the principal method of entry to their school, and their intention to revert to academic selection in subsequent years. A majority also referred to fees payable.
  • Analysis of the (non-testing) 2021-22 year 8 grammar and non-grammar school cohorts compared to the previous year 2020-21 showed very minimal differences in terms of gender, newcomer children, level of deprivation, distance travelled to school, and the percentage of the cohort with Free School Meal Entitlement and Special Educational Needs (including with statements). Figures for ethnicity and children in care were too low to allow a comparison to be made.  System-level attainment data for the cohort were not available.
  • While there was little change in the demographic composition of the year 8 cohort transferring to post-primary schools in 2021-22, the data reveal very stark differences (consistent over the past four years, including the non-testing year) in the pupil cohorts entering year 8 in grammar schools when compared to non-grammar schools. Using the 2021-22 year 8 cohort by way of example, these differences relate to:
    • Free School Meals (grammar: 15.8% vs non-grammar: 39%)
    • Special Educational Needs (grammar: 5.6% vs non-grammar: 25.2%)
    • Newcomer children (grammar: 1.1% vs non-grammar: 5.8%).
    • Level of Deprivation (grammar school intakes are skewed towards the higher (less deprived) MDM deciles and non-grammar school intakes are skewed towards the lower (more deprived) MDM deciles, though important differences were noted by school management type).

Speaking about the report, Director of CREU and Principal Investigator of the research, Prof Noel Purdy, said “We hope that the findings presented in this report will help unlock the current policy paralysis around academic selection in Northern Ireland, and encourage fresh evidence-based discussion among all interested parties (politicians, policy-makers, school leaders, parents and children) around the future of post-primary transfer in Northern Ireland.”

The full report, including executive summary, can be downloaded here.

An online event launching the report will take place 2.00-3.30pm GMT on 25th April 2023. You can register for this free event here.

NOTES

  • The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust with a mission to advance social well-being. It funds research that informs social policy, primarily in Education, Welfare, and Justice. It also funds student programmes that provide opportunities for young people to develop skills in quantitative and scientific methods. The Nuffield Foundation is the founder and co-funder of the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. The Foundation has funded this project, but the views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily the Foundation. Visit nuffieldfoundation.org
  • About CREU: The Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) was launched in 2018 with the core aim of engaging in a focused portfolio of innovative interdisciplinary research into educational underachievement in Northern Ireland. See: https://www.stran.ac.uk/research/creu/
  • Previous Covid-19 / education research reports by the Stranmillis CREU team can be found here: https://www.stran.ac.uk/research/creu/creu-news-and-blogs/
  • Contact details: for further information, contact: Prof Noel Purdy Email: n.purdy@stran.ac.uk

Call for children and young people to share experiences of ‘Growing Up Online’ in major Northern Ireland study

Safer Internet Day 2023 takes place on the 7th February 2023, with celebrations and learning based around the theme ‘Want to talk about it? Making space for conversations about life online’. The celebration sees thousands of organisations getting involved to promote the safe, responsible and positive use of digital technology for children and young people.

In Northern Ireland, we are celebrating by putting children and young people’s views and experiences at the heart of the day by launching an important new research study.

Entitled ‘Growing Up Online: Children’s online activities, harm and safety in Northern Ireland’, this mixed-methods research is being undertaken by a team from the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement (CREU) at Stranmillis University College, Belfast, and is funded by the Safeguarding Board for NI (SBNI). It aims to identify and understand children and young people’s online activity; the perceived impact of emerging risks and harms; and current online safety provision, including educational initiatives to safeguard and protect children online.

The project aims to reflect the experiences of children and young people, member agencies of SBNI, and other partner organisations, to produce an evidence report with recommendations for policy and best practice.  The findings of the research will be used to inform the delivery of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Online Safety Strategy Action Plan.

An important element of the project will be the involvement of children and young people as co-participants in the development of the qualitative research methods, through the formation of two Children and Young People’s Advisory Groups in schools.

Speaking about the project, Director of CREU Dr Noel Purdy said, “We are delighted to be carrying out this very timely and valuable research for the Safeguarding Board NI into children’s online lives. We are looking forward to engaging directly with a wide range of children and young people through the online survey but also face to face through a series of focus group interviews over the coming weeks.  Together we hope that our research can help all of our children and young people to enjoy and stay safe online.”

Bernie McNally, Independent Chair of the Safeguarding Board for NI (SBNI) said,“The vision of the Online Safety Strategy for Northern Ireland is that children and young people are informed in order to enjoy their online spaces safely, knowledgably and without fear. For this to happen, we need to understand the real needs and experiences that impact young people’s lives. Through this research we want to give young people from all walks of life the space to express their views, which will be listened to and taken seriously in the development and delivery of online safety policy and practice.”

If you work with children and young people, we invite you to encourage all those aged 8-18 to visit https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/growing-up-online-ni/ and complete the survey before midnight on 28th February 2023.

To find out more about the project, contact socialmedia@stran.ac.uk.

 

Stranmillis announces appointment of new Visiting Professors

Following the retirement of Prof. Elizabeth Wood and Prof. Colleen McLaughlin  as Visiting Professors at Stranmillis University College, the College is delighted to announce that Prof. Lynn Ang from University College London (UCL) and Prof. Adam  Boddison, CEO of APM (Association for Project Management) have been appointed as our new Visiting Professors 2022-2024.

A picture of Stranmillis University College's new Visiting Professors meeting the team from CREU, in front of the steps of Stran House.
From left to right: Mr Mark Shields (CREU), Dr Karen Orr (CREU), Prof Adam Boddison (APM), Prof Lynn Ang (UCL) and Dr Noel Purdy (CREU)

Prof. Ang  is Pro-Director and Vice-Dean of Research and Development at IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, leading and managing over 150 staff and 5 research centres, including the Centre for Doctoral Education. She brings with her extensive international experience in the Higher Education sector and is a Principal Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy. Professor Ang’s expertise is early years and primary education with specialist interests in early childhood education, early learning, educational, social and global inequalities, teacher education, workforce development, policy development, and the interdisciplinary fields of early childhood education and international development. Her research is focused on the social, cultural and policy influences on education in preschools, schools and home-based settings.

Prior to his current role as CEO of APM, Prof. Boddison has been CEO of of nasen (National Association for Special Educational Needs), Chair of the Whole School SEND Consortium and a Founding Director of the Centre for Professional Education (University of Warwick). In addition to his leadership and organisational management skills, Prof Boddison brings expertise in inclusive education and early years, special education needs and disabilities and online learning.  Prof Boddison was awarded the OBE for services to children and young people with SEND in the King’s New Years Honours.

Welcoming the appointment of the new Visiting Professors (who visited the College before Christmas), Stranmillis Principal and CEO, Prof. Jonathan Heggarty commented, “Professors Ang and Boddison bring a wealth of experience and expertise which the College can tap in to as we continue to grow and develop our research and scholarship activity, building on our existing strengths.  We look forward to working with them over the coming years.”