Northern Ireland’s Commissioner for Children and Younger People has welcomed moves to extend the right to education for young people to 18-years-old, but warned against making it compulsory.
Chris Quinn added that there must now be greater detail provided in what the plans will mean in practice and said a more nuanced approach, ‘reflecting the specific needs, preferences and barriers faced by different groups of young people is required”.
The Education Minister confirmed his intention to bring forward legislation requiring all young people to stay in education or training until they are 18.
School leaving age in Northern Ireland has been 16 since 1972.
It’s the first response from Paul Givan to the Independent Review of Education, which has been commissioned to look into every aspect of the education system in Northern Ireland, since the final review was published in December last year.
The Minister also said he wanted to begin a conversation on the future of qualifications in the region, which he said needed to “remain comparable with the rest of the United Kingdom”.
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A review of the school curriculum in Northern Ireland has also been commissioned to examine design and delivery and added there would be a new literacy and numeracy strategy for Northern Ireland.
The Commissioner said that international evidence suggests any compulsion on young people can have “minimal impact on the pupils who are the most disengaged from education”.
“Alternative, targeted measures may be of greater value,” he said.
“Fundamentally, the best interests of the child should be paramount, and appropriate support, resources, and wider reform is required to ensure a range of high-quality pathways are available and accessible to all. Children over 16 must have a range of appropriate options outside mainstream education available to them, including good quality apprenticeships that are government supported and that pay adequately.
“We must consider how to best support all children and young people, moving away from a system that determines success purely on five GCSEs towards one that prioritises the wellbeing of our children.
“There is a need for the Department of Education and the Department for the Economy to work together with voluntary sector providers and recognise non-formal education programmes, training, and overseas experiences as viable post-16 education avenues. These opportunities can be life changing and should be further invested in.
“It is important to note that the Independent Review of Education made a number of recommendations, including the need for pre-vocational pathways to be introduced from 14 years – and clearly stating that measuring success other than attainment at 16 or 18 years is required.
“The review also recommends redirecting focus to the early years, championing emotional health and wellbeing, as well identifying failings in the provision of services for children with special educational needs, saying that thorough reform is urgently required.”
The Independent Review of Education made 25 key recommendations, with a further 106 areas for action, including investment in early years provision, reform of the curriculum and the qualifications system.
Mr Givan told MLAs he had accepted almost all of the recommendations made, adding that too many young people in Northern Ireland affected by poverty “continue to leave education both under-skilled and under-qualified”.
“Participation in education beyond the age of 16 directly impacts upon life chances of young people,” the Minister said.
“Regrettably, a young person’s background remains a key factor in whether they progress to post-16 education.
“Compulsory education or training, ending at 16, is a remnant of a manufacturing society with many unskilled jobs that no longer exists. Jobs today require high levels of skill and education.”
The Minister informed MLAs there would be further details on plans in the weeks ahead, including in the areas of assessment, qualifications and school improvements.
To kick-start that, he announced a review of arrangements to assess pupils’ progress throughout their time in education.
“We need to ensure qualifications are accessible, fit for purpose, easily understood by pupils, parents and employers and remain comparable with the rest of the United Kingdom,” he said.
The Minister reminded MLAs that the Review identified an annual gap of £155 million to address the per-pupil funding gap with England and Wales and a further £136 million shortfall related to higher levels of learners with a statement of educational need.
“Real-term cuts over recent years have had a lasting and detrimental impact on our young learners,” he said.
“I am determined to reverse the legacy of historic underfunding.”
SDLP MLA Cara Hunter, though, has called for greater clarify on what the Minister is proposing.
“We have a crisis around special educational needs, including education for those aged 19+, but the minister only offered warm words today and no concrete proposals,” she said.
“There was also not a single mention of integrated education, Irish medium schools or how the minister intends to address issues around relationship and sexuality education or spiralling childcare costs, or plans to support children living in poverty or suffering poor mental health.”