Young people have faced unprecedented changes to their childhoods and futures due to COVID-19. A significant part of this disruption has been to their education.… Read More »Every child deserves a real chance in life: A renewed government focus on solving educational underachievement in Northern Ireland?
In an effort to minimise the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the disease COVID-19), schools in Northern Ireland closed their doors to normal… Read More »COVID-19 and school shutdowns: Examining the after-effects
Period poverty is a topical issue, globally and within the United Kingdom (UK). Recently, there has been some concern about the relationship between period poverty… Read More »Free periods? Period poverty, its impact on education, and policy responses to the issue
The finances of Northern Ireland’s schools have been in the spotlight for some time. For example, the Northern Ireland Affairs Committee at Westminster is currently… Read More »We don’t need no education!
This week sees people across Northern Ireland getting interested and involved in science through the Northern Ireland Science Festival. We thought we would join… Read More »How is Northern Ireland performing in science, technology, engineering and maths?
In 2016 the former Minister for Education, Peter Weir MLA, spoke of wanting to address composite classes, whereby a single teacher is responsible for two or more years of students at the same time. The former Minister suggested that it is more difficult for teachers to deliver high quality education in composite classes and that pupils need to be able to interact with peer groups. He stated that by the end of the planning period, he expected actions to address ‘the issue of primary pupils being taught in a composite class of more than two year groups’. This article looks at the evidence base on composite classes in Northern Ireland and around the world, considering how common they are, their educational outcomes and benefits and challenges.
The Assembly Education Service engaged with more than 80,000 young people during the last mandate. The aim of this work is to inform young people about the work of the Assembly and encourage them to get involved, but how does this work fit into the Northern Ireland Curriculum?
Read More »The Northern Ireland Assembly and the School Curriculum
Education and training are key factors in economic progress, acting as a means of raising productivity. Whilst other factors can result in short-run economic improvements, education and training are critical to embedding long-term growth. As such, the current reductions in funding for Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) could potentially have a negative impact on future economic development in Northern Ireland (NI).
Read More »Economic impact of cuts to the Higher Education sector
How can we ensure that children’s early years lay firm foundations for the future? During the first five years of life children develop at a rapid rate, and their experiences during this period profoundly influence their life chances.
How well is the compulsory education system supporting demand for STEM skills in Northern Ireland?
Skills development is critical in driving economic growth, and evidence highlights the importance of STEM subjects in contributing to innovation and productivity within economies. However, demand for people with high quality STEM qualifications outstrips supply in Northern Ireland, and employers face challenges in recruiting appropriately skilled STEM workers at every level. This undersupply is particularly acute in the areas of maths, computer science, engineering and technology, in line with growth forecasts for the ICT, Professional Services and Advanced Manufacturing sectors. Women are particularly underrepresented among the STEM workforce.
Read More »Science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM)
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