In an old Irish joke, a ‘city-slicker’ lost in the countryside asking for directions is advised, ‘If I were you, I wouldn’t start from here.’ This mirrors the complicated tale of the education system in Northern Ireland, where starting points wildly vary and can significantly influence perceptions of the journey ahead. This blog post explores the issue of widespread duplication within a fundamentally system divided, most noticeably by community affiliation, often labelled as Catholic and Protestant. While there are a growing number of Integrated schools to challenge these divisions, 92 per cent of all of Northern Ireland’s learners attend schools largely divided by perceived community background. To cater for the different sides of the community, in many settlements across Northern Ireland there is, from an outsider’s perspective, an unnecessary duplication of schools and services.

‘Duplication presents a real challenge of sustainability for schools, especially in rural areas.’

Such duplication presents a real challenge of sustainability for schools, especially in rural areas (Roulston & Cook, 2021). Many tiny settlements across Northern Ireland contain pairs of primary schools, one for the Catholic community (Maintained primary schools) and another for the Protestant community (Controlled primary schools; Map 1).

Map 1: Isolated pairs of primary schools, <1 mile from each other but >3 miles from another school from either sector (2024).

Source: produced by Dr Sally Cook for Roulston & Cook, 2021

This provision facilitates parental choice: children are educated with and by others ‘like them’ (Milliken, 2019), in accordance with their preferences. Both Protestant and Catholic schools in these rural areas, although they may have a different ethos, must follow the same taught curriculum provided by teachers whose preparation for teaching was largely identical to ‘the others’, albeit often in separate initial teacher education provision. Pupil numbers in these schools are often low and communities may struggle just to retain one school.

Aspects of post-primary schooling may also be unsustainable. An estimated 144 million miles of, arguably, entirely unnecessary travel would be eliminated each year if pupils transferred not to a school serving their own community but to their nearest secondary school (Thornthwaite, 2014, p. 132). Map 2 shows an overview of movements between feeder primaries and the post-primary schools that the pupils attend. The combination of academic selection and community division means that many students pass a number of virtually identical schools to reach the school of their choice. With so many options, it is not uncommon for a primary school to be a feeder school for more than 10 post-primary schools; for example, the 75 pupils from one Belfast primary transferred to 22 different post-primaries (Roulston & Cook, 2023).

Map 2: A = linkages between primary schools and those secondary schools to which pupils transferred; B = linkages if pupils were to attend nearest schools (2019).

Source: produced by Dr Sally Cook for Roulston & Cook, 2023

Despite challenges, there are signs of change. Some argue that Integrated education, where children from both sides of the community are educated together in the same building, offers one model for an inclusive approach. Others argue that this will merely increase duplication in an already complex and financially over-stretched system. As ideas about space, governance, integration and sharing in Northern Ireland’s education system continue to evolve, it is crucial that the journey, and its planning, involves all stakeholders meeting, all at their own starting points, emphasising understanding and collaboration.

Looking ahead, the pathway for Northern Ireland’s education system is unlikely to be straightforward. While the Transforming Education project stopped short of advocating any sectoral solution, it seems clear that the system’s future lies in acknowledging its past, understanding its present, and collaboratively shaping a future that embraces diversity and fosters greater unity. Its transformation requires courage, innovation and a commitment from so many who harbour the legacies that for so long have perpetuated the separation stasis (Gardner, 2016).

In reflecting on this journey, the importance of starting points is crucial. It is a transformative journey, demanding a reimagining of both the destination and the starting point – or should that be starting points?

References

Gardner, J. (2016). Education in Northern Ireland since the good friday agreement: Kabuki theatre meets danse macabre. Oxford Review of Education, 42 (3), 346–361. https://doi.org/10.1080/03054985.2016.1184869

Milliken, M. (2019). Employment mobility of teachers and the FETO exception. Ulster University. https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/en/publications/employment-mobility-of-teachers-and-the-feto-exception

Roulston, S., & Cook, S. (2024). Isolated primary and post-primary schools in 2024: Duplicating provision in a divided society together. Transforming Education Briefing Paper 21. https://pure.ulster.ac.uk/files/203416966/TEUU_Report_21_-_Isolated_Pairs.pdf

Roulston, S., & Cook, S. (2023). Using GIS analysis to examine home-school travel in a divided education system: The case of Northern Ireland. Irish Educational Studies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/03323315.2023.2188239

Thornthwaite, S. (2014). The report of the independent review of home to school transport. Department of Education (Northern Ireland). https://www.education-ni.gov.uk/articles/independent-review-home-school-transport-report-2014