Dr. Adele Bergin:

We have some recent research that comprehensively compares the education systems in Ireland, North and South. Some of the key research findings include marked differences in educational attainment between Ireland and Northern Ireland with a lower proportion of the population in Ireland having the lowest levels of educational attainment. Early school leaving is two to three times higher in Northern Ireland, compared to Ireland. This gap has widened over time. The proportion of 16 to 24 year olds who leave school with at most a lower secondary qualification is 14% in Northern Ireland, compared to just 6% in Ireland. This is concerning as early school leavers are more likely to be non-employed or work in low wage or potentially insecure jobs later in life. Furthermore students from more disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be early school leavers in Northern Ireland than in Ireland.

Both systems, North and South, face challenges in tackling educational disadvantage. Stakeholders across the island spoke of the benefits of the delivering equality of opportunity in schools, DEIS, programme in Ireland and those in Northern Ireland felt that such a programme could be useful for dealing with educational inequality in Northern Ireland.

Academic selection in Northern Ireland, whereby students take selection tests at age 11 with those deemed to be high performers continuing education in grammar schools and others in secondary schools has significant consequences for the social and ability profile of schools and for young people's post-school choices and aspirations. Therefore, students from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be clustered in certain schools in Northern Ireland, compared to Ireland. Being channelled into non-grammar schools leads to low educational expectations relative to those who attend a grammar school, especially of boys from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. This lack of aspirations, particularly among disadvantaged boys, was reiterated as an issue by stakeholders in Northern Ireland.

Students in both Northern Ireland and Ireland from disadvantaged backgrounds achieve lower grades than their peers from more affluent backgrounds with the effect larger in Ireland, especially at upper secondary level or at leaving certificate level. However, this is reflective of the differences in early school leaving. Overall in Northern Ireland, those who are more socially disadvantaged are more inclined to leave school after lower secondary level while in Ireland, more disadvantaged students continue in school following the end of compulsory education, but then receive lower exam grades on average.

The proportion of graduates is the same in both jurisdictions. However, Northern Ireland has a very small proportion who complete a post-secondary non-third level qualification, compared to Ireland where post leaving certificate, PLC, courses have become very popular. Ten percent of the population in Northern Ireland have this level of qualification, compared to 30% in Ireland.

Finally, at all levels of qualification, wages are significantly higher in Ireland than in Northern Ireland. Higher returns to education can incentivise individuals to invest in their education and may in part be driving the low levels of educational attainment in Northern Ireland. As Dr. McGuinness has already alluded to, lower returns to education in Northern Ireland may also be reflective of lower productivity levels in Northern Ireland.