Tony Gallagher Twitter: @tgeducation BELMAS Conference, Northern Ireland, December 2018 EDUCATION AND POLICY IN A DIVIDED SOCIETY
Education and State Formation (Andy Green, 2013) Social cohesion & common citizenship Dealing with difference & minorities
Government in Northern Ireland 1922-1972 Majority rule 1972-1997 Political violence, Direct Rule 2000-2016 Political agreement, multi-party rule
The challenge of the 2000s: divided society or shared society?
Consociationalism: promoting democracy in divided societies Government by coalition High level of autonomy for communities Proportionality in allocation of power & resources Mutual veto as a guarantor for minorities
elite accommodation and mass segmentation Coalition government Community A Community B Community C Political Parties Schools Trade Unions Business organisations Mass media Political Parties Schools Trade Unions Business organisations Mass media Political Parties Schools Trade Unions Business organisations Mass media
Criticisms of consociationalism Incentivises division Encourages ethnic parties, discourages cross-community parties Prone to disputes over resource allocation Veto can lead to policy paralysis rather than cooperation
NI Assembly Elected using proportional representation Executive elected by d Hondt system MLAs designate as unionist or nationalist for consensus votes Committees as countervailing force to Government Departments
Three case studies Academic selection Review of Public Administration Shared Education
Case Study One Academic selection
Selection research and review Research to Review Labour Government 1997 Report on delayed selection system 1998 Report on selective system 2000 Burns Review Body established 2000 Research findings Mediation of outcomes by social background Disruption of primary curriculum by test preparation Bi-polar distribution of outcomes for post-primary schools
Post Primary Review Burns Report, 2000 Consultation Report, 2002 Costello Report, 2003 Education Order, 2006 Proposed end of academic selection, formative assessment, collegiates Little consensus on the issues; some contradictory patterns in preferences Proposed the end of academic selection, entitlement curriculum Included clause to ban academic selection St Andrew s Talks, 2007 Ban on academic selection subject to Assembly approval Political stalemate No political consensus; official 11+ tests ended; two unofficial test systems used
Consultation on the Burns Report 28 interest groups meetings 579 response booklets 286 written submissions 200,551 household response forms Ten young people focus groups NI Omnibus survey (n=2,232)
Case Study Two Review of Public Administration
Politics NI Assembly OFMDFM/TEO 10 departments Civic Forum North/South Ministerial Council British Irish Council British Irish Governmental Conference Public administration 8 Next Steps Agencies 53 Executive NDPBs 21 Advisory NDBPs 11 Tribunals 8 Cross Border Bodies 19 Health and Social Services Trusts 26 Local Authorities Other charities/ associations Education Department of Education 5 Education and Library Boards Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta General Teaching Council (NI) Council for Integrated Education Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment Staff Commission for ELBs Youth Council Middletown Centre for Autism Ltd
ELBs ESA EA RPA commitment 2001 Recommendations published 2006 Catholic Bishops criticise recommendations 2006 SF Minister confirms RPA process, but needs more time 2007 Executive fails to agree implementation of ESA 2011 Grammar schools criticise ESA plan 2009 UUP criticise ESA plan 2009 Executive agrees on ESA 2008 Presbyterian Church criticises inequity in ESA plan 2014 SF Minister proposes EA compromise plan 2014 EA Act passed 2014 EA becomes operational 2015
Before RPA Department of Education 5 Education and Library Boards Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta General Teaching Council (NI) Council for Integrated Education Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment Staff Commission for ELBs Youth Council Middletown Centre for Autism Ltd After RPA - planned Department of Education Single strategic authority Advisory Forum General Teaching Council (NI) Youth Council Middletown Centre for Autism Ltd After RPA - actual Department of Education Single Education Authority Council for Catholic Maintained Schools Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta Controlled Schools Support Council General Teaching Council (NI) Council for Integrated Education Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment Youth Council Middletown Centre for Autism Ltd
Who owns, manages and funds schools in Northern Ireland? School type Controlled Maintained Voluntary Voluntary (Catholic) Grant Maintained Integrated Controlled Integrated Maintained IME Other IME Who owns EA Bishops Trustees Bishops Trustees EA Trustees EA Who manages EA CCMS Governors Governors Governors EA Governors EA Who funds EA EA DE DE DE EA EA EA Who represents CSSC CCMS GBA GBA Schools/ NICIE CSSC/ NICIE CnaG CnaG
Case Study Three Shared Education
Oases of calm Common textbooks Contact programmes Common schools Equity in funding
Rigid and porous boundaries: schools as a network system
Five factor model for Shared Education Empowered teachers Locally tailored solutions Sustained, multi-level contact Core school activity Multiple benefits: social, educational & resource
Mainstreaming Shared Education Programme for Government targets 2011 Ministerial Advisory Group 2013 Education Act 2014 Shared Education Signature Project 2014 Shared Campus programme 2014 Shared Education Act 2016 EU Peace IV funding 2017
Mainstreaming shared education Pre- SEP SEP 1 SEP2 SESP/ EU 4
Three case studies Academic selection Top down process Polarized debate No consensus, no decisions Review of Public Administration Top down process Began with consensus Polarized debate over resource allocation Decisions made, but watered-down outcome Shared Education Bottom-up process Consensus via 2 nd preferences Support from external organisations Significant change