Every year, thousands of students find their ideal course in through Clearing.
UCAS Clearing gives you another opportunity to find the best course for you – whether you’ve changed your mind, your results surprised you or you have just starting to think about going to university this year.
Clearing opens for applications is open from 5 July 2023. To ensure that you don’t miss out on any possible clearing opportunities at Stranmillis, please complete the Clearing Register of Interest form here.
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.”
Notes:
The cuts the researchers are aware of are:
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.”
“Our sincere congratulations also go to:
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).
As part of our Centenary celebrations, the College was delighted to welcome back over 30 former Students’ Union Presidents for a special celebratory dinner. A hugely enjoyable evening of reconnecting and reminiscing, one of the highlights was a highly entertaining “On the Couch” interview session with Past Presidents Ronnie Barron (1953), Heather Lyle (nee Brown, 1988), Sara Stewart (nee Lindsay, 2009) and Chris P0llock (2019).
A special Daily Mile took place at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park today to join global celebrations of World Daily Mile Day and all the positive benefits that daily activity has on the physical and mental health of children.
Children from Fane Street Primary School joined Northern Ireland International Niall McGinn, Irish FA Foundation Director James Thompson, Daily Mile Northern Ireland Co-Chairs Dr Barbara McConnell and Dr Brenda McKay-Redmond, Stranmillis University Vice-Principal Professor Ken Gibson and final year Early Childhood Studies students to celebrate World Daily Mile Day with a Daily Mile around the famous pitch at the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park.
