A NI wide attitudinal poll conducted by LucidTalk, commissioned by the Integrated Education Fund (IEF), indicates wide public support for cross-community solutions within Northern Ireland’s school estate.
Around 300 schools in Northern Ireland are currently deemed to be below the threshold of sustainability according to the Department of Education.
Only last month the Education Minister published his draft budget strategy for the next five years where the future decrease in pupil numbers and sustainability of small rural schools was highlighted as an important financial and societal consideration.
In the recent statement ‘Five-Year Education Budget Strategy: Delivering a stable, sustainable and high-quality education system’* Education Minister Paul Givan MLA commented: “Across all school phases, pupil numbers are projected to decline significantly over the next decade. By the 2033/34 academic year, overall enrolment is expected to fall by 12.7%.
This trend highlights the urgent need to plan for a smaller, more sustainable school estate. Without action, increasing numbers of schools will struggle to meet these thresholds, placing pressure on resources and limiting opportunities for pupils.”
Furthermore, 65% of respondents in a recent Northern-Ireland attitudinal survey said they would support cross sectoral mergers and amalgamation of schools. This polling was carried out by Belfast based independent polling and market research company LucidTalk, on behalf of the IEF.
Over 1,900 responses were collated, and the poll was balanced by gender, age-group, area of residence, and community background, to ensure it was demographically representative of Northern Ireland today.
Further questions asked focused on the current financial crisis facing both schools and education support bodies. The idea of amalgamating schools on a cross-community basis was the most popular action the government could take according to the survey.
Other findings from the LucidTalk survey included overwhelming support for a government survey of all parents to assess parental demand and preference for different types of school provision. This was backed by some 81% of respondents.
In the Republic of Ireland, the government has recently completed such an exercise. The Department of Education and Youth carried out a survey which resulted in an exceptionally high level of engagement, with more than 41% of all households with primary school or pre-school-aged children responding to the questionnaire.
One significant outcome of the survey was that around 40% of parents of children attending Catholic or other religious denomination primary schools would prefer their child to attend a multi-denominational school, according to a national survey carried out by the Department of Education and Youth.
Chief Executive of the IEF, Paul Caskey OBE, commented: “It is clear that the current education system is no longer fit for purpose. Education cannot function efficiently with the current budget available. 70% of our schools are operating in a financial deficit and many more are due to follow. Schools are in disrepair, with an estimated £800m maintenance and repair backlog across the entire schools’ estate. Furthermore, teachers are disillusioned by their work rate and renumeration.
“Ulster University’s Transforming Education project estimates that the cost of division, the duplication of services, costs an additional £150 million each year. Ultimately, Northern Ireland has a choice to make, it can either rationalise the schools’ estate within the existing school sectors, or it can seize an opportunity to do things differently and develop meaningful cross-sectoral solutions that contribute to greater integration.
“The IEF would contend more Integrated schools, together with other innovative cross sectoral solutions, could potentially bring significant societal, educational and financial benefits over time.
“Integrated Education is not a panacea, we do not claim that it will cure all the issues impacting education today. What we can say with confidence is that Integrated Education has a positive role to play. In a recent societal survey data published by the Department of Education (Life and Times Survey) 76% of respondents who stated a preference for type of school, chose Integrated.
At a time when resources are being spread so thinly and the majority of schools are in deficit; we urgently need action and solutions. We simply cannot afford to keep doing what we have been doing for another 20 years.”
