We are all stakeholders

Marie Cowan, Chair of the Integrated Education Fund, contends that the future of education must be planned to meet the needs of society as a whole rather than of vested interests.

The Northern Ireland Assembly needs to pay heed to the stakeholders when the delivery of education is under consideration. I do not mean that the vested interests of the establishment must be taken into account but rather that politicians must acknowledge the concerns of the wider community and look at transforming the education system into one which is geared to the needs of our society. The business of education is relevant to all of us; no matter whether or not we actually have children going through school, an effective and productive education system benefits society in many ways.

The current, highly-segregated education system in Northern Ireland comes at a heavy price. There are tens of thousands of empty desks and inadequate facilities, affecting the capacity to deliver education fit for the 21st century. This means that scarce public funds are being diverted away from the front line into maintaining separate institutions, threatening the educational outcomes of our pupils and ultimately the skills employers need to succeed in business.

I hear concerns from the business sector that our current education system is not configured to meet the needs of industry nor of social cohesion. And the business leaders I speak to are well aware that the two aspects are closely inter-related.

Presentations at events such as the recent Northern Ireland Economic Conference have highlighted the closer relationship between industry and schools in other countries, with a collaborative approach to making sure young people are prepared for the world beyond the classroom.

We are all facing some of the most challenging economic conditions for a generation. These challenges are set against a backdrop of societal division which has boiled over into unrest, sending around the world the image of Northern Ireland as a persistently troubled place.

There is no doubt that building a more cohesive and stable society should be a priority, and there is a growing awareness among wider civil society that education should be one of the keystones of this.

The public budget is under intense pressure, and the taxpayers from all walks of life who pay into it need to know it is well spent. So is Northern Ireland getting a good return on our public investment in education? Is it right that our money goes into a system which sustains division – that our money is not budgeted wisely but spent on duplicating provision and sustaining surplus facilities? Surely spending needs to be targeted at better educational outcomes and new, state-of-the-art facilities? These are urgently needed to enable young people to develop the skills they will need when they join the workforce.

Ideal opportunity

Whilst we address the urgent financial challenges facing us – the need to rein in spending whilst maintaining and improving outcomes – we have an ideal opportunity to institute a holistic review of the education system in Northern Ireland. The area-based planning process and the proposed single education authority present a possibility of transforming our education system into a structure which unites and serves everyone. This is a good moment to move beyond the current divided system, to step outside the old, sectoral design and devise an approach which puts children first.

That approach would bring social and economic benefits.

From an international perspective, the perception of our education system is one of division, a symbol and a symptom of our divided society. It militates against inward investment and thus threatens economic growth. Creating a single truly shared education system would send out a powerful message that we are creating a truly shared future rather than merely managing the divisions of our past. It would persuade potential investors that we are working to solve our problems and that the unrest which has blighted Northern Ireland in the past year is part of an old pattern which we are determined to abandon.

Moving on from this old, destructive pattern would have a positive impact on pupils’ futures, and on their future employability. Young adults must be open to collaborating with others of all backgrounds and beliefs, and the more comfortable they are with this the better. We need an education system which supports this.

I believe integrated education is a necessary driver for change. Learning together develops pupils’ skills and knowledge so that they can contribute to an open, diverse and inclusive society. There is a growing body of research to back up this view from, among others, universities in Northern Ireland and Aberdeen. Evidence suggests that when children study and play together daily, it has a significant social influence, most notably in terms of fostering cross-community friendships, reducing prejudicial attitudes and promoting a sense of security in diverse environments.

Public opinion

This is what parents want for their children. Independent opinion polls over many years have shown a public desire for transformation of the education system into something which cherishes tradition and identity whilst dissolving division. Yet there have been only timid steps towards bringing our young people together. It’s therefore not surprising that survey results published earlier this autumn showed the approval rating for the Stormont Assembly as shockingly low. Voices are being raised, and not only in school communities, to ask why our politicians are not grasping the nettle and properly addressing the issue of a segregated education system.

Trades unions, reflecting on the progress our community has made since the Good Friday Agreement, have questioned why our education system has not moved on.

Earlier this year, businesses leaders attended an event to discuss ‘The Business of Education’. The overriding consensus that emerged was that Northern Ireland needs to be a more stable and socially cohesive society for the private sector to prosper and to attract inward investment. Education was deemed to play a crucial role in this.

Our politicians, it was agreed, need a common vision to end segregation in our education system and create school communities where people’s different backgrounds and circumstances are appreciated and positively valued. To formulate that vision, they could draw on the expertise and imagination which is behind the successful industries and organisations represented in Northern Ireland. There is a growing awareness that businesses should become more involved in education and that collaboration between private and public sectors could work to ensure a better-prepared and better-qualified workforce for the future.

Together the stakeholders in education are presenting a clear message which members of the Stormont Assembly should heed; the voices are becoming a clamour for change. With a series of elections looming in the coming years, politicians have to be ready to face a disillusioned public who are ready for a truly shared future. Voices are being raised in every quarter and politicians, facing a series of election campaigns, cannot afford to ignore them.

Marie Cowan is Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Integrated Education Fund.