Research undertaken by Ulster University has shown that our education system is confusing for many and hinders the development of innovative, shared solutions that may help address sustainability issues within the system.
The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) welcomes the publication of the latest research paper in the series ‘Transforming Education’ from the Ulster University’s School of Education. This paper looks at our education system, how it is constructed and operates, and what options are available to ensure a sustainable school estate in Northern Ireland.
One of the paper’s authors Dr Matt Milliken said:
“The proliferation in the number of publicly-funded institutions that support schools has created a costly blizzard of acronyms and initials. Advancing even the most apparently straightforward changes in a system that is so bureaucratically top-heavy has potential to be sluggish; held back by the necessity of involving multiple agencies, consuming time, paperwork and ultimately incurring further financial, social and environmental costs.
With community agreement, investment, and a little imagination there could be opportunities to create a landscape of genuinely sustainable community-based, shared, common schools that could at the same time address some of the underlying divisions that still plague NI. Such a future would require political will, legislative change and courage; and is impossible without a collective reimagination of the way that the school system is funded and managed.
The future of educational provision must be sustainable and based on the expressed and agreed wishes of communities and the needs of wider society.”
Tina Merron, Chief Executive of the IEF, commented:
“This latest paper in the Transforming Education Research briefings from the Ulster University poses the pertinent question, how sustainable is our education system?
It is designed to encourage conversation and debate. Its timely publication will no doubt help inform the forthcoming Independent Review of Education, the implementation of the Integrated Education Act (Northern Ireland) 2022 and help to inform education policy in Northern Ireland.”
The Transforming Education Briefing Paper 19 “Schools in Northern Ireland: Sustained without Sustainability” will be distributed to politicians and influencers and can be accessed online here.
