“Our education system is in crisis, and it is the most vulnerable and disadvantaged children in our society who will bear the brunt of funding cuts for schools, and an ongoing lack of investment within the sector generally.”
So said Sir Ronnie Weatherup, President of Belfast Charitable Society, during a conference he chaired today examining the state of education in Belfast.
The event, which was held at Clifton House, the home of Belfast Charitable Society, was attended by more than 80 delegates representing schools and further education establishments, statutory bodies, charities, and community organisations. Its purpose was to consider the current dire situation that many schools are facing, particularly those in areas of social deprivation, the increasing issue that poverty is presenting within an education context, and what educators, charities, and community groups can do to help.
The predicted catastrophic impact that the recently announced Education Authority school meals price hike will have, alongside ongoing concerns about uniform costs and further budgetary cuts were all discussed, as were the findings of a recent report on leadership in education.
Speaking at the event, Dr Ciara Fitzpatrick, Senior Lecturer at Ulster University School of Law and vice-chair of the NI Anti-Poverty Network, laid out the growing financial burden of education on families across Northern Ireland, including school uniforms, transport, and that recent fifty-pence rise in the cost of school meals.
“Children in poverty are being robbed of opportunities to participate on the same terms as their more affluent peers,” she said. “The NI Audit Office reported that Child Poverty is costing the NI Executive up to £1bn per year. Our education system is currently failing to level the playing field, as parents face exorbitant cumulative costs for school uniform, extra-curricular activities, transport and food.
“The ongoing cuts to education will punish disadvantaged children the most. Research commissioned by the Children’s Commissioner shows that 41% of children who are in poverty are not eligible for free school meals and they will be hit hardest by the 20% price increase. Meanwhile, every other Government body in the UK and our neighbours in the Republic of Ireland are expanding access to a hot meal in recognition of the proven health and educational benefits.”
Professor Noel Purdy OBE, Director of Research and Scholarship at Stranmillis University College, presented the key findings a report titled Effective School Leadership in Disadvantaged Areas of Northern Ireland. The study was commissioned in February 2024 following a similar conference at Clifton House to mark the building’s 250th anniversary. Funded by The James Kane Foundation and the Mary Ann McCracken Foundation, the results highlighted how strong leadership can transform schools in disadvantaged communities, drive pupil wellbeing, and generate academic success.
“Evidence from our research shows that positive change can happen with visionary leadership,” said Professor Purdy. “The report lends further weight to recent calls for greater investment in leadership training, mentoring, and succession planning within our most disadvantaged educational contexts. It should help educators and policy makers across Northern Ireland ensure schools of the future have strong leaders who are willing to apply every strategy and power they have for the benefit of the children in their community.”
Providing a community context, Jackie Redpath MBE, CEO of the Greater Shankill Partnership, spoke about the need for a strategy of locally driven change, and the importance of collaboration between communities and government. “Partnership working is tough,” he said. “It requires a level of absolute equality and shared principles, but when it works, and it does work, the results are worth it.”
Delegates were urged to lobby policy makers, avail of the report research, commit to community partnerships, and most importantly of all, listen to the voices of the parents and children who are most severely impacted by ongoing education cuts and increasing levels of poverty.
As the oldest charity in Belfast, and the first independent body to provide free schooling for the poor children of the city, Belfast Charitable Society has driven the conversation around education and disadvantage for over 200 years. “Combatting child poverty and improving the lives of Belfast’s poor children has been, and remains, an important aspect of the Society’s work,” said its Chief Executive, Paula Reynolds. “We hope that this event will help to raise awareness of the devastating impact cuts to education alongside rising costs are currently having, particularly in deprived areas like North Belfast, and we look forward to continuing this important conversation with educators and the local community.”
