Is academic selection in Northern Ireland a barrier to social cohesion?

ABSTRACT

Northern Ireland has a deeply divided education system with demarcation most notable along ethno/religious and social class lines. The former is largely attributable to the historical organisation of the schools estate based on religion, and the latter is associated with a system of academic selection that filters children into grammar and non-selective post-primary schools according to their performance in tests taken during the final year of primary school. Academic selection, and the grammar school system that underpins it, has come under some considerable scrutiny, with much of the research evidence pointing to a negative relationship between the selective system and equality of opportunity in education. The suitability of this system in a transitioning society that has become more ethnically diverse in post-conflict years has, however, received less attention. Drawing on social cohesion theory, we reflect on the grammar school system to argue that the cross-community class interests animating it not only perpetuate inequalities within respective communities but may also present a significant barrier to peacebuilding efforts in education, and ultimately impede progress towards a more socially cohesive society.

KEYWORDS:

• Academic selection
• social cohesion
• Grammar schools
• Northern Ireland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Unlike the rest of the UK, Scotland did not implement reforms after the second world war to establish grammar schools, although a form of selection had been introduced during the interwar years (SESC 2017). By the late 1970s, 98% of Scotland’s post-primary pupils attended comprehensive schools.

2. Within Northern Ireland, attempts to introduce comprehensive schooling have been limited to local towns (Carlin 2003). However, as pupils from these areas often travel to nearby towns to attend grammar schools, this has limited impact on selection as a whole. In addition, in the 1960s parts of County Armagh elected to delay selection from 11 to 14, maintaining a bipartite system from 14 to 18.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Joanne Hughes

Joanne Hughes is Professor of Education and UNESCO Chair at Queen's University Belfast. She is also Director of the Centre for Shared Education in the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen's. Her research interests include the role of education in divided societies, intergroup relations and equality in education.

Rebecca Loader

Rebecca Loader is a research fellow at the School of Social Sciences, Education and Social Work at Queen’s University Belfast. Her research explores the role of education in plural and multicultural contexts, with particular focus on intercultural education, intergroup dialogue and educational inequalities.