Higher Education in Further Education: Northern Ireland

„ Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2003, 9600 Garsington Road, Oxford, OX4 2DQ, UKand 350 Main Street, Malden, MA 02148, USA.

Higher Education in FurtherEducation: Northern IrelandR. D. Osborne, University of Ulster

Abstract

This paper reviews the provision of higher education courses in the further edu-cation sector in Northern Ireland. It charts the evolution of policy through the1990s by examining major policy documents. It notes the chronic absence ofreliable statistical and research evidence during this period. The available statistical evidence is reviewed. Key themes are identified including: localism,‘non-evidence based policy making’, higher education versus the demand forskills and community relations and equality. The innovative concept, now itwould appear doomed, of the Springvale campus for west Belfast is examined.Finally, the paper notes that there is an urgent need to provide strategic direc-tion to the further education sector as a whole.

Introduction

To enable the assessment of the current circumstances of higher educa-tion in further education to be undertaken, it is appropriate to brieflysketch out the key parameters of higher education policy as a whole overthe past 40 years or so. This is done primarily through a considerationof key reports.Thereafter, the specific development of policy with respectto higher education in the further education sector is considered, along-side a review of the available statistical evidence. Finally, the paper out-lines a number of themes which emerge from the review of policy andstatistical information.

Higher education policy

Lockwood Report

The first key report was the Lockwood Report of 1965, which was theNorthern Ireland version of the Robbins Report. Lockwood acceptedthe case for the expansion of higher education participation, and rec-

Higher Education Quarterly, 0951–5224Volume 57, No. 4, October 2003, pp 376–395

HE in FE: Northern Ireland 377

„ Blackwell Publishing Ltd. 2003

ommended that a second university be established to complementQueen’s University, Belfast (QUB). Lockwood was a generally uncon-troversial report, but it is notorious in Northern Ireland for recom-mending that the second university be located at Coleraine, a smallpredominantly Protestant market town, rather than Derry/Londonderry.Not only was Derry Northern Ireland’s second and predominantlyCatholic city, but Magee College in Derry already offered some limiteduniversity courses which fed into QUB and Trinity College, Dublin(TCD). The New University of Ulster (NUU) opened its doors for students in 1970. Less controversially, Lockwood recommended the creation of an advanced further education college, which would sub-sume some existing specialist colleges. This institution subsequentlybecame the Ulster Polytechnic (UP) offering sub-degree courses andCNAA-validated courses at first degree and eventually postgraduatelevels.

Towards the end of the 1960s the common university applicationsystem (UCCA) was extended to Northern Ireland, and means-testedgrants were also introduced. Northern Ireland students now had greateropportunities to study in the rest of the UK or the Republic of Ireland.At the same time, the outbreak of the ‘troubles’ provided a major pushfor Northern Ireland students to leave the province to study. By the mid-1970s, 40 per cent of undergraduate entrants left Northern Ireland tostart their studies.

Chilver review

In this context, the two new institutions (NUU and UP) fared very dif-ferently. UP expanded substantially, while NUU demonstrated an inabil-ity to compete with either UP or the traditional QUB. By the end of the1970s, NUU was only a third of its anticipated size and was facing amajor crisis. The Chilver Committee, which reported in 1982, was setup to resolve this problem. Chilver did not recommend closure for NUUbut rather a lowering of its status. Merger with either of the two otherinstitutions was specifically rejected as too cumbersome and likely to beinefficient. Government, however, rejected the Chilver recommenda-tions and announced the merger of NUU with UP to form a fourcampus ‘polyversity’ (Coleraine, Jordanstown, Magee in Derry and theformer Art College in Belfast). The new university, the University ofUlster (UU), was to maintain the UP’s emphasis on vocational and sub-degree work alongside undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Thismixed mission given to UU was to be scrutinised on a regular basis

378 Higher Education Quarterly


through an independent review to be conducted every seven years. Thefirst review expressed some concern that the University was reducing itscommitment to sub-degree provision, while the second suggested thatthis problem had been resolved (UU, 1992, 1999)

After the merger, the UU sought to continue to discharge its com-mitment to sub-degree provision predominantly through developingfranchise arrangements with the further education colleges. In 2000/01the total number of students on franchised courses was c.3,700, of which800 were HND students, 530 were HNC students and 880 were onaccess courses. Franchise arrangements are such that the further edu-cation colleges receive the funding per student while the Universityreceives a validation fee. Students are recorded as further educationcollege students.

During most of the period under review, the policy focus was onhigher education rather than the further education sector. Further edu-cation was undoubtedly the neglected ‘Cinderella’ part of the educationsystem.The further education system itself had grown up with little plan-ning, with some colleges having evolved from technical schools whichoriginated under the tripartite secondary system established by the 1947Education Act. Grammar and secondary schools, also set up by the Act,survived, with entry determined by the 11+/transfer process; but tech-nical schools did not take root. In one part of Northern Ireland,Craigavon (incorporating the two towns of Portadown and Lurgan), thestructure of secondary education was different. Here, pupils transferredto junior high schools at 11 and at age 14 transferred to senior highschools. However, in the state or Protestant sector the transfer at 14 wasto the further education colleges. This meant that the two further edu-cation colleges (Portadown and Lurgan) had a significant post-14 streamof students. Although this system had been put in place in the early1970s, it was not evaluated until the late 1990s. The evaluation foundthat those transferring to the further education sector (i.e., predomi-nantly Protestants) did not fare as well as those who transferred toCatholic schools (Alexander et al. 1998). During the 1980s, the furthereducation colleges assumed responsibility for a significant part of the initiatives aimed at the youth unemployment problem. Until the 1990s,however, policy towards the further education sector was largely one of‘steady state’ with no major appraisal of the purpose, functions and effec-tiveness of the further education sector. Moreover, little or no researchwas undertaken on the sector, although evaluations of the youth pro-grammes were undertaken.



The 1990s and the new policy environment for further education

In contrast with the previous decades, the 1990s have seen a new pre-occupation with developing a policy for the further education sector. Alist of the reports issued, with their dates, is given in Table 1.

Signposts for the 1990s

In 1990, the Department of Education for Northern Ireland (DENI)issued a consultative document seeking to establish the basis for theintroduction of the Local Management of Colleges (LMC) and toexamine ‘other issues relating to the broader role and structures offurther education’ (DENI, 1990: p. 1).The paper highlighted the chang-ing environment for the colleges: the drop in the numbers of the 16–18year old population, the new skill needs of the economy and the conse-quent need for adult retraining. It was noted that colleges were poor atattracting adults. Attention was also drawn to the need for colleges toassist in the development of an enterprise culture. The paper also ques-tioned the weight given to GCSE and ‘A’ level provision in the furthereducation sector.

The paper questioned whether the existing provision of higher edu-cation courses in the further education sector was spread too thinlyacross the colleges, resulting in poor educational experiences for stu-dents, with resources not providing an adequate higher education experience. On the other hand, it was noted that approximately 1,000students a year left Northern Ireland to study at this level, providing aready potential market for expansion if quality provision could be provided in Northern Ireland. The paper proposed that either a small

TABLE 1Public reports on, and related to, further education in the 1990s

Signposts for the 1990s – consultation document 1990The Road Ahead – policy statement 1991Report of the Review Group on Further Education 1992Minister Hanley’s response to the Review Group 1993Dearing Report – Northern Ireland chapter 1997Lifelong Learning – policy statement 1997Report of the Employment and Learning Committee 2001



number of colleges undertake this provision or a single college be createdto provide this function. The paper also noted the possibility that col-leges could link with universities to provide degree level study.

The Road Ahead

The following year ‘The Road Ahead’ provided the route map that wasto be set for further education. It emphasised the need to increase participation in vocational education by adults, to improve quality andenhance standards, to improve outreach to schools and the businesssector and ensure provision was cost effective. A postponement of theintroduction of LMC was announced but, crucially, the whole questionof the strategic planning and funding of further education was given toa review team. The review group was also asked to ‘make recommen-dations on the range of higher education courses . . . in the further edu-cation sector and their geographical distribution.’

Review Group Report

The Review Group report was very specific. It recommended a mergerof institutions that would result in a reduction of colleges from 24 to 13.It recommended that there should be a centrally determined strategicplan for the further education sector and for the coordination of highereducation provision within this sector. It made detailed suggestions on the formulae that should be used for funding individual colleges,and crucially that the sector needed a significant increase in financialresources. On higher education, it made it clear that only 5 of the 13colleges should provide full-time higher education, but all should be ableto develop part-time provision; however, both full-time and part-timeprovision must be planned against strict efficiency and viability criteria,and this should be part of the remit of a new independent planning andfunding body for the sector.

Government response to the Review Group

Under Direct Rule arrangements, the junior Minister at the NIO, JeremyHanley, issued a statement responding to the review team report the fol-lowing year. In relation to the concerns of this paper, the recommendedreduction in the number of colleges was accepted, but there were anumber of variations on the specific proposals. On higher education pro-



vision, the Minister rejected the proposal for all colleges to be able tooffer part-time courses. Arguing that investment and staff quality werethe same whether part-time or full-time courses were offered the Min-ister suggested that in future, higher education courses

. . . should be concentrated in those further education courses which arecapable of providing an appropriately broad range of such courses, with areasonable enrolment of higher level students. Colleges should be able tomake provision of four or more vocational areas . . . and to have a total enrolment of the equivalent of at least 120 full-time students. (DENI, 1993:p. 11).

Only two of the existing colleges met these criteria. While the Minis-ter envisaged a number of colleges moving towards meeting these crite-ria, he also recognised that others would have to discontinue highereducation provision. He indicated that he would consult further on theproposal to set up an independent funding and planning body for thesector as a whole.

Dearing report

The Northern Ireland chapter in Dearing dealt with higher educationwith particular emphasis on the provision of higher education places.Noting that compared with both Scotland and Wales there was an under-supply of higher education places, the Committee recommended addi-tional provision. Four options, which were described as not mutuallyexclusive, were outlined:

• Develop the Springvale concept advanced by the UU. This was notedas offering great potential for social inclusion, but without privatesupport the cost of c.£100m for 4,000 places ‘would represent a heavycall on public funds’. This initiative is discussed below.

• Increase provision at the existing institutions – but this was unlikelyto be possible given the institutional mission of QUB in particular.

• Use existing plant more intensively through tri-semester teaching aswas already being piloted by UU.

• Expand provision of higher education at sub-degree level in the furthereducation sector, through a variety of arrangements including franchising and other partnerships. The two monotechnic teachertraining colleges could also diversify away from only providing teacher training. The expansion of higher education courses in further educa-tion must not result in the displacement of the other functions of thesector.



No preference for any of the four options was explicitly given, but one reading of the report suggests that option 4 was particularlyfavoured. Interestingly, the case for expanding higher education courses at this level is made purely on the basis of the provision of places and the potential for transfer into the universities for degree level work. There is no attempt in the Dearing report to make any links between study at this level and any assumed labour market demandfor those with sub-degree qualifications. As we shall note below, in practice three of the options have been pursued in the period since theinquiry.

Lifelong learning policy statement

Northern Ireland’s policy statement on lifelong learning was explicitlyderivative in being based on the English Green Paper ‘The LearningAge’; but it also took the opportunity to restate some aspects of generalhigher education policy. Stressed throughout are the economic needs ofthe ‘knowledge economy’ and the urgency of creating a culture whichendorses the ‘importance of updating knowledge and skills throughoutworking life.’ Specifically, in relation to higher education it was proposedto increase the number of student places by 2,600, of which 600 wereto be in the further education sector. These 600 additional higher edu-cation places were to be provided alongside 8,000 additional full-timeand part-time further education places by 2002. The additional highereducation places were not without strings. The new higher educationprovision, including that in the further education sector, was designedto:

• Widen access to those underrepresented in higher education;• Meet the skill needs of the economy, in particular in food and agri-

culture, construction, software engineering, electronics, informationand communications technology, manufacturing engineering andtourism and hospitality; and

• Respond to the areas in the universities where entry requirements weremaking it particularly difficult for young people to find places.

In addition, it was proposed to consult on the Dearing recommen-dation that there should be a Tertiary Funding Council for NorthernIreland to replace the existing advisory bodies – the Northern IrelandHigher Education Council and the Further Education ConsultativeCommittee.



Assembly Employment and Learning Committee

The final contribution to this policy debate was the first input from thenew devolved institutions. The Employment and Learning Committeetook ‘Education and Training for Industry’ as its second major investi-gation. The report, published in 2001, covered the whole gamut of theeducation system and how it related to the needs of the economy. Thereport reiterated many of the known characteristics of the educationsystem including:

• The relatively low proportion of the Northern Ireland workforcewithout a qualification, compared with the rest of the UK or interna-tional comparators;

• Relatively high rates of adult illiteracy; and• A high rate of higher education participation in Northern Ireland.

Evidence taken by the Committee highlighted fundamental concernsabout further education. These suggested that the further educationsector was the weakest sector, that it lacked strategic direction, that col-leges tried ‘to do too many things and are consequently less effective intheir performance’ and that there were too few centres of excellence. Onone hand, it was suggested that incorporation, which had taken place in1998, was leading to a more imaginative and innovative way of meetingindustry’s needs, while other comments suggested that the process hadbeen inefficient and a waste of resources. Specific recommendationsrelating to higher education provision in further education were largelyembedded in general recommendations for further education as a whole.They were as follows:

• There was an urgent need to develop a five-year strategy for furthereducation. The strategy should address the key issue of the optimumnumber of further education colleges, their remit and how to deliverparity of esteem between vocational and academic qualifications.

• There should be an increase in per capita funding for the sector, andadditional funding should be guided by the overall strategic plan.

• There should be an increase in places in sub degree courses whichlead to a qualification in information and communication technology.

Springvale

By far the most innovative policy development relevant to the concernsof this paper relates to what has become known as the Springvale Edu-



cational Village. The concept originated with UU in the period imme-diately after the first paramilitary ceasefires in the early 1990s. The UUproposed a new university campus in north-west Belfast, on the peaceline between Protestant and Catholic areas which were subject to veryhigh levels of socio-economic deprivation and high levels of violence.The timing of the proposal astutely caught the optimistic political moodof the times and offered a concrete and symbolic way to invest in thecommunities where the conflict was at its most intense. It was arguedby the UU that such a campus would provide opportunities throughattracting a range of economic activities that could substantially assist in the economic regeneration of this part of Belfast. Local communitieswere initially rather sceptical of the proposal, seeing little of direct benefitto them. However, the proposal evolved as the UU sought funding froma range of sources. Government in particular indicated that supportwould be given if the UU collaborated with the Belfast Institute ofFurther and Higher Education (BIFHE) to create a campus incorpo-rating adult skills provision, community outreach and further and highereducation courses. However, the new partnership led to some difficul-ties and the timetable slipped significantly.

The project had three main elements. The first is a community outreach dimension in which a co-ordination and focus role is played by the project, supported by the Millenium Commission. There is an applied research role which is designed to facilitate incubator economic activity and technology transfer. This activity is being fundedthrough the International Fund for Ireland. Finally, there is the maincampus for further and higher education provision. This element was being put through a Public Finance Initiative process, but by mid 2002 the UU and BIHFE still had to raise significant parts of thecapital cost. Overall it was anticipated that there would be up to 4,500full time equivalent students (FTEs), of whom 1,200 would be ‘new’,with a 50 :50 mix between higher education and further educationcourses. In September 2002, however, the Minister indicated that shehad been

. . . made aware of difficulties being experienced by the institutions in com-pleting the business for the campus element of the Springvale project. Thesedifficulties focus on the affordability and long-term sustainability of thecampus. (DEL, 2002: p. 1)

In making the announcement the Minister launched a departmentalreview of the project. Community activists reacted with anger and dis-appointment to this development.



Student finance

During 2000 a review of student finance was undertaken following theCubie Review and decisions in Scotland. An analysis of the review hasbeen undertaken by Osborne (2002), which discussed both the processof the review and the debate between the Minister and the NorthernIreland Assembly Committee concerning how students should befinanced. The Committee advocated the Scottish model of funding, asrecommended by Cubie. The Minister, however, argued for the reten-tion of up-front tuition fees. But in the package of proposals eventuallyannounced in March 2001, the residual parental threshold for tuitionfees was raised to £20,000 – resulting in an estimated 50 per cent ofentrants not paying fees. In addition, bursaries to the value of £1,500are being introduced for those whose residual parental income is£15,000 or less. Other relevant innovations include a childcare grant,and fee exemptions for those aged 19 and above for certain vocationalcourses in further education. The total cost of the package is £65m.

Foundation degrees

The development of foundation degrees has been undertaken on a pilotbasis. QUB and UU have linked with a total of seven colleges to provide100 FTEs per annum. Initially these places were restricted to ICT, butlatterly they have been expanded to Hospitality and Construction on apart-time basis.The Department for Employment and Learning (DEL),with the universities’ agreement, is using the Department of Education’s Education and Training Inspectorate to ensure quality and to assist inthe evaluation of the new qualification.

Current circumstances and statistics

The DEL is advised on policy towards the further education sector bythe Learning and Skills Advisory Board (a separate advisory NorthernIreland Higher Education Council has been reconstituted). The strate-gic objectives for the further education sector are: to support regionaleconomic development; to increase participation and widen access; andto improve quality and enhance standards.

Figure 1 shows the increase in full-time and part-time enrolments inhigher education courses in the further education sector in NorthernIreland. It shows a steady increase in the period under review for bothmodes. Part-time provision remains the larger activity.



In Table 2 are shown the number of higher education places in furthereducation colleges, first as a proportion of the total number of studentsin higher education in Northern Ireland, and secondly as a proportionof the total number of Northern Ireland domiciled higher education students, irrespective of location of study.

Overall, although there has been an increasing policy emphasis on theprovision of higher education in further education, the rate of increasein further education-based numbers has simply kept pace with thegrowth of degree level higher education in Northern Ireland. There hasbeen a marginal increase in the proportion of these students amongst allNorthern Ireland domiciled higher education students, implying thatfewer students entering courses outside Northern Ireland are enteringhigher education courses at sub-degree level. This is confirmed in Table3, where the location of those studying at sub-degree level is shown.

The numbers of those migrating from Northern Ireland to enter sub-degree courses elsewhere have almost halved in an eight-year period.The number on courses in the Republic of Ireland has declined mostrapidly. This is a result of the removal of all financial support to thoseattending private third level colleges in Dublin. However, the expansionof places in Northern Ireland has not resulted in a one-for-one declinein migration because participation has increased overall.

The pattern of participation in full-time higher education courses bygender in the further education sector reveals that a majority of studentsare female. In 1998/99 the proportion of males on these courses reachedits lowest point, at 41.4 per cent, but increased to 45.7 per cent by2000/01.This recovery comes at least in part from the increases in places

0100020003000400050006000700080009000

1991

/92

1992

/93

1993

/94

1994

/95

1995

/96

1996

/97

1997

/98

1998

/99

1999

/00

2000

/01

Full-time

Part-time

Figure 1 Students on Higher Education Courses in Further Education Collegesin Northern Ireland.



in disciplines dominated by males. The marked gender differences bydiscipline are shown in Table 4. Women dominate in Distribution andHealth and Social Care courses, while men predominate in Construc-tion and Mechanical Engineering. The ICT category shows some evi-dence of greater gender equality, but it is still predominantly male.Thesepatterns seem set to maintain gender-related inequalities in the labourmarket.

The final statistical evidence that we can consider relates to the dis-tribution of full-time higher education courses across the further edu-cation colleges. This reveals that over half the students on these coursesare in two colleges: Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education(39.1%) and the North West Institute of Further and Higher Education

TABLE 2Higher education students in further education, as a proportion of:A. all higher education students studying in Northern Ireland and

B. all Northern Ireland domiciled Higher Education entrants.

A (%) B (%)

1994/95 10.1 6.21995/96 11.4 7.11996/97 13.5 8.41997/98 12.5 8.01998/99 12.4 8.01999/00 12.6 8.32000/01 12.5 8.5

Source: DEL statistical series.

TABLE 3Migration of Northern Ireland domiciled entrants to sub-degree

higher education, by destination

England Scotland Wales Irish Republic Total

1994/95 579 171 40 213 1,0031995/96 514 193 26 187 9201996/97 478 215 24 114 8311997/98 455 239 18 27 7391998/99 437 227 20 21 7051999/00 445 177 13 21* 6652000/01 408 157 22 21* 599

*These are the 1998/99 figures – no more recent figures available.Source: DEL Statistical series.



in Derry (19.2%).Thereafter, a further 12.5 per cent are in North Downand Ards College, located in the Greater Belfast area, while the remain-ing 30 per cent are thinly located in eight colleges across NorthernIreland. Four colleges record less than 100 students while in one collegethere are six students and in another there are 17.

Themes

From this brief analysis of the evolution of the policy debate and ourreview of the key statistical evidence, it is possible to identify a numberof themes and issues surrounding the role of higher education in furthereducation.

Policy making

The making of policy in relation to higher and further education duringthe period under review has mainly taken place under Direct Rulearrangements. Under these arrangements, as has been argued in rela-tion to public policy making in general, Northern Ireland Office Minis-ters rarely provided any specific direction to policy, and policy thus

TABLE 4Subject distribution of students on higher education courses in FE

Colleges, by gender, 2000

Male % Female %

Admin/Office 1 1.4 72 98.6Applied Science 16 40.0 24 60.0Art & Design 136 46.9 154 53.1Business & Management 372 36.8 639 62.2Construction 227 91.9 20 8.1Distribution 32 38.6 51 61.4Elec/Elect Engineering 72 96.0 3 4.0Hairdressing & Beauty – – 25 100Health & Social Care 11 3.1 341 96.9Hospitality 38 23.8 122 76.2ICT 405 73.4 147 26.6Leisure, Tourism, Recreation 114 27.9 294 72.1Mech Engineering 167 87.9 23 12.1Media 43 63.3 26 36.7Motor Vehicle 1 – – –

Source: DEL Statistical Series



tended to be guided mainly by civil servants. Overall, policy broadly fol-lowed developments in England, either directly or more often adaptedto the particular circumstances of Northern Ireland (Connolly andLoughlin, 1990). There is little evidence in the policy review reportedhere of any particular policy innovation peculiar to Northern Irelandbeing developed by the local administration. The most innovative idea –that of the Springvale campus – came from the University of Ulster, andmore explicitly from its then Vice-Chancellor.

By and large, however, most developments under Direct Rule werelargely derived from initiatives taken elsewhere in the UK, and more par-ticularly in England. Since the 1998 Belfast Agreement, there has beenstop-go devolution and uncertainty about the future of the political insti-tutions, culminating in a further suspension in October 2002. There is,however, still the hope that there will be agreement for the restorationof the institutions in due course. Under devolution, one might hope that the DEL and the statutory Employment and Learning Committeein the Assembly would begin to develop innovative policy initiatives1.Others, however, have cautioned about having unduly high expectationsin this matter, as Assembly members have largely come from local gov-ernment which in Northern Ireland has no responsibility for major services such as education, housing, social services etc. Moreover,shadowing developments elsewhere in the UK (‘parity’) is deeplyingrained in the psyche of senior civil servants. Finally, the number ofsenior civil servants concerned with policy rather than administration inthe higher and further education fields is very small, and devolution hasincreased their work burden substantially.

Localism

A persistent theme in the policy debate in the past decade has been thenumber and geographical spread of further education colleges and theextent to which higher education courses should be concentrated in asmall number of the colleges. The Review Group Report called for areduction of college management units to 13, and a decade after thiscall the number is still 17 – a result of several mergers. Colleges areregarded as sources of civic pride in small towns and there is fierce resis-tance to any suggestion of down-grading. Assembly members, mindfulof their constituents’ views and the electoral cycle, will be reluctant toendorse proposals to further concentrate provision. This intense com-mitment to the locale has also bedevilled the rationalisation of acute hos-pital services. By the same token, there is continuous pressure from the



further education sector to upgrade its role through the expansion of higher-level work. The Institutes of Technology in the Republic ofIreland are looked on by some as ideal exemplars for the more ambi-tious elements within the further education sector. This pressure forupward ‘mission creep’ is recognised by DEL, but there is no evidencethat such a policy development is likely.The DEL is scheduled to under-take a strategic review of the further education sector during 2003.

Non-evidence based policy making?

One of the most striking characteristics of the development of policy andthe debate over its direction is the relative absence of long-term and com-prehensive data about the further education sector, including the highereducation element, other than the basic numbers of students brokendown by gender. The Review Group attempted to use managementinformation on the further education sector system to assess basic effi-ciency measures. It found substantial variations in staff student ratiosbut, alarmingly, was unable to identify FTEs for subject areas for five ofthe colleges. Not surprisingly, the Review Group called for a compre-hensive data source for the sector.

However, a decade later, the Assembly’s Employment and LearningCommittee had to repeat the call – ‘[There is] . . . an urgent need forthe provision of a vastly improved common statistical database on stu-dents and staff . . .’ (N. I. Assembly, 2001: Recommendation 12).

The continued absence of a comprehensive and up-to-date source ofstatistical information on the further education sector is bound to sub-stantially restrict the capacity to develop a strategic plan for further edu-cation as a whole with any measurable outcomes. It cannot be longbefore the Northern Ireland Department of Finance starts to look forevidence of outcomes before responding positively to calls for additionalfinance.

Higher education versus labour market skills?

A recurring theme of the policy statements is that one of the primarypurposes of the further education sector as a whole, and of the devel-opment of higher education courses in this sector, lies in the demandfor specific skills in particular industries and at particular levels ofemployment – most commonly technicians and ‘middle management’.These views have been shaped in recent times by the developing researchand information resource on skills and the labour market in the DEL.



There may be a tension, however, between this apparent labour marketdemand for sub-degree higher education courses and qualifications, anda higher education policy that urges that the transition of students fromsub-degree courses to degree courses (known as articulation in Scot-land) should be as smooth as possible.This has been achieved with somesuccess, especially at the UU, where it is estimated that upwards of 350students a year transfer into the second or third year of degree pro-grammes from sub-degree courses in the further education sector. Theonly empirical evidence on student behaviour, collected by following acohort of 1991 entrants after seven years, suggests that for that cohortthe transfer rates of sub-degree students to degree level courses were 70per cent or more (Leith et al., 2000).2

If there is, apparently, demand from employers for recruits with sub-degree qualifications, why are so many students opting for additionaldegree level study? This pattern of behaviour may well result from a clearperception among students that the real demand from employers maybe for graduates rather than for those with intermediate qualifications.It may also arise from the ‘academic’ bias that, it has been argued, per-meates education in Northern Ireland. Students following the highereducation in further education route may well be seeking to overcomethe sense of failure engendered by ‘failing’ the 11+, from which theirself-esteem can only be recovered by obtaining a degree. Finally, stu-dents may be making a very pragmatic decision about future earnings.The 1999 Cubie Report in Scotland, which reviewed arrangements forstudent finance, detected clear evidence that graduates secured a sub-stantial lifetime salary premium but could find no convincing evidencethat those with sub-degree qualifications were likely to secure apremium. On this basis, the report recommended that students qualify-ing with sub-degree qualifications should be exempt from the graduateendowment – a recommendation accepted by the Scottish Executive. InNorthern Ireland, the cohort evidence referred to above suggested thateven those progressing to degree studies from sub-degree courses wereearning on average 20 per cent less than those entering directly to degreestudy3. The need for a research study designed to ascertain contempo-rary attitudes and behaviour is clear-cut.

Quality

One of the recurring concerns for DEL has been to ensure quality inthe further education sector as a whole, including in the development ofhigher education in further education. Expansion of higher education



provision in the further education sector has to be approved by DEL,and its decision on any specific proposal is in part determined by evi-dence from the Education and Training Inspectorate, which is locatedwithin the Department of Education (DE). The Inspectorate has pre-pared a set of quality related performance indicators against which pro-vision is judged (DE, nd).

Community relations and equality

Of particular importance in Northern Ireland has been a long-termpolicy concern for equality and community relations. The various policydocuments make reference to this:

The colleges have an important, and often underestimated role in creating amore united community. They are a forum where all sections of the com-munity come together, both in their formal programmes for study and in theirrecreational provision. (The Road Ahead, 1991, para 7).

The further education sector is unique in that it is integrated in terms of both religion and ability . . . The Review Group takes the opportunity . . . toendorse the non-sectarian nature of further education colleges and to say thatit considers it most important that colleges should continue to strive to main-tain the tradition of religious integration. (Review Group Report, 1992, para4.2)

These observations in part reflect the case that individuals from bothethno-religious communities attend courses in further education col-leges; but they are also clearly aspirational, rather than based on carefulassessments of the actual state of relations within the further educationsector. As with so much in the sector, there is little hard evidence orresearch which can illuminate these issues. Anecdotally, however, it isknown that some colleges are regarded as ‘no-go’ institutions by onecommunity or the other, leading to de facto segregation. It is also knownthat several colleges have faced major problems of sectarian tension.Research on relations between university students has recorded highlevels of segregation in friendship formation (Osborne and Gallagher, inpress) and it would be most surprising if exactly the same patterns werenot found in the further education sector.

The new equality provisions arising from the 1998 Belfast Agreement,however, are set to change the policy parameters for all further andhigher education institutions. Under section 75 of the 1998 NorthernIreland Act, two statutory duties are placed on public bodies. The first



is that the organisation must make or implement policy with due regardto the promotion of equality of opportunity (with respect to religion andpolitical opinion, gender, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, maritalstatus and those with or without dependents); and must have regard tothe promotion of good relations between those of different religions andraces. To undertake these obligations, the colleges are required to draftan equality scheme following guidance from the Equality Commission(EC), and to submit it for approval to the EC. The colleges will then berequired to conduct an Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) of all exist-ing policies and all new ones, in order to identify any adverse impact on the identified groups. To conduct EQIAs the colleges will need toconsider the development of statistical monitoring across the equalitydimensions – something the universities have largely accomplished. Inthe event of an adverse impact (of a kind which does not constitute illegaldiscrimination) a college is required to consider how it can mitigate the adverse impact. It is perhaps the second statutory obligation – topromote good relations – which offers the policy framework for collegesto address the issues of sectarianism and racism in a positive and pro-active fashion. While no-one could suggest that the task is not challeng-ing, it is still an open question whether the sector can rise to thischallenge.

Summary and conclusions

This paper has sought to examine the evolution of higher education inthe further education sector. It has been noted that the further educa-tion sector has been a relatively neglected part of the education system,and only during the 1990s has significant policy development takenplace. A number of key themes have been identified. It has been notedthat under Direct Rule policy making in Northern Ireland was domi-nated by the aim of seeking inter-institutional parity. By and large thismeant following developments in England. Attention has been drawn tothe small cadre of senior civil servants responsible for policy in this area,and the sharp escalation in their responsibilities arising from devolution.The debate over provision has been dominated by strong localism, andthis handicaps attempts at rational planning. There are major tensionsbetween viewing the expansion of higher education in further educationas driven by labour market purposes and the argument that the furthereducation route is a good way of expanding accessible higher educationprovision closer to home and with clear progression routes into degree



level study. Attention has also been drawn to the importance of the newequality agenda for the particular circumstances of the further educa-tion colleges in Northern Ireland.

Perhaps the most striking issue that has been raised, however, is theabsence of comprehensive and up-to-date research and statistical evi-dence for policy making. It will be remarkable indeed if, following devo-lution and the strengthening of local accountability (represented, forexample, by the powerful new Assembly Committees) this chronic deficitis permitted to continue. It must also be hoped that as the devolved insti-tutions bed down, a new self-confidence will emerge which will identifylocal solutions to local issues rather than shadowing London.The strate-gic review of the further education sector which is now envisaged rep-resents a major opportunity.

Notes

1. The role of Assembly Statutory Committees and the review of student finance are discussed in Osborne (2002).

2. It must be accepted that the numbers undertaking these higher education courses haveexpanded since 1991 and patterns may have changed.

3. This is an overall figure. Clearly some of the difference will come from variables suchas the class of degree awarded, subject taken and occupation.

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Documents

Higher Education in Further Education: Northern Ireland