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A blog from the Northern Ireland Assembly Research and Information Service

Education and Skills Blog Archive

Here you will find an archive of Education and Skills Blog articles published before 1 May 2022, divided into their relevant categories.

Education

A picture showing some scruffy stationery items on a school desk
Young people have faced unprecedented changes to their childhoods and futures due to COVID-19. A significant part of this disruption has been to their education. While schools and education…
An image showing some school books and other material as part of home-schooling
In an effort to minimise the spread of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (which causes the disease COVID-19), schools in Northern Ireland closed their doors to normal school life on 23…
An image showing free sanitary products in a box
Period poverty is a topical issue, globally and within the United Kingdom (UK). Recently, there has been some concern about the relationship between period poverty and school attendance. In…

Higher and Further Education

A photograph showing students at a graduation
  Higher Education (HE) students everywhere are turning their attention towards exams. Many not only face their final exams, but also the decision over where they go next. At…
A student reading in a library (Image: Tulane University, under Creative Commons)
Education and training are key factors in economic progress, acting as a means of raising productivity. Whilst other factors can result in short-run economic improvements, education and training are…

Research and Innovation

Copy of the Northern Ireland Executive’s Economic Strategy and the Programme for Government Consultation Document
By Eóin Murphy, Michael Scholes, and Aidan Stennett The Northern Ireland Executive is currently revising its Economic Strategy.  What are the key factors it should take into consideration when…

Skills and Training

Illustration of STEM education word typography: strengthening the STEM ‘artery’ will require a range of approaches
How well is the compulsory education system supporting demand for STEM skills in Northern Ireland? Skills development is critical in driving economic growth, and evidence highlights the importance of…
A pay slip with pound coins
The introduction of the National Living Wage (NLW) could have a number of impacts in Northern Ireland (NI), raising the earnings of those aged over 25, but potentially creating…