Structure and Performance of Post-Primary Schools in Northern Ireland

Borooah, Vani and Knox, Colin (2015): Structure and Performance of Post-Primary Schools in Northern Ireland. Published in: The Economics of Schooling in a Divided Society No. Palgrave Macmillan (2015): pp. 62-80.

Abstract

In this chapter we question the prevailing belief in Northern Ireland’s education circles that large schools make for better schools. There is little evidence that a large number of pupils in a school makes for a better GCSE performance. It is true that a large sixth form produces better GCSE results (in much the same way that a flourishing postgraduate program in a university department produces better undergraduate results) but (just as with a university’s post graduate programme) it is not the sixth form per se but the sixth form as an instrument for attracting good teachers that does the trick. The policy point is that there are several, possibly cheaper and more effective, ways of attracting good teachers to a school than through a large sixth form.

• Item Type: MPRA Paper
• Language: English
• Keywords: School Performance, Northern Ireland, Large and Small Schools
• Subjects: I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I21 - Analysis of Education; I - Health, Education, and Welfare > I2 - Education and Research Institutions > I26 - Returns to Education

References

Anand, S. and Sen, A. (1997) Concepts of Human Development and Poverty: A Multidimensional Perspective, Human Development Report 1997 Papers, New York, UNDP.

Bain Report (2006) Schools for the Future: funding, strategy, and sharing. Report of the Independent Strategic Review of Education.

Blinder, A. S., (1973), "Wage Discrimination: Reduced Form and Structural Estimates", Journal of Human Resources 8: 436-455.

Borooah, V.K. (2001) “The Measurement of Employment Inequality Between Population Subgroups: Theory and Application”, Labour, 15:169-89.

Borooah, V.K. and Knox, C. (2012) The Economics of School Closures in Northern Ireland, Belfast: Atlantic Philanthropy.

Bourguignon, F. (1979), “Decomposable Income Inequality Measures”, Econometrica, 47: 901-20.

DENI(2009), Schools for the Future: A Policy for Sustainable Schools. Bangor: Department of Education, Northern Ireland.

DENI (2012a), Northern Ireland School Statistics: 2011/2012 Bangor: Department of Education, Northern Ireland.

DENI (2012b), Area Planning Guidance. Bangor: Department of Education, Northern Ireland.

DENI (2012c) Year 12 and Year 14 Examination Performance at Post Primary Schools in Northern Ireland: 2010/11 revised. Bangor: Department of Education.

Gallagher, T., Stewart, A., Walker, R., Baker, M. and Lockhart, J. (2010) ‘Sharing education through schools working together’ Shared Space, Issue No. 10: 65-74. Belfast: Community Relations Council.

Greaves, E., Macmillan, L., and Sibieta, L. (2014), Lessons from London schools for attainment gaps and social mobility, London: Social Mobility and Child Poverty Commission.

Hughes, J. (2010) ‘Are separate schools divisive? A Case Study from Northern Ireland’. British Educational Research Journal 37 (5): 829-850.

Lipsett, A. (2008) Education Guardian, 25th January, page 5. Oaxaca, R. (1973), “Male-Female Wage Differentials in Urban Labor Markets”, International Economic Review, 14: 693-709.

O’Dowd, J. (2011) Putting Pupils First: Shaping Our Future. A statement the Minister for Education to the Northern Ireland Assembly. Bangor: Department of Education, Northern Ireland.

Purvis, D. (2011) Educational Disadvantage and the Protestant working class: a call to action. Belfast: Purvis Report.

Theil, H. (1967) Economic and Information Theory. Amsterdam: North-Holland.

Tickle, T. (2011) The Guardian, 4th May, page 4.

Torney, K. (2014), “2013 GCSE and A-level Results for all Schools”, The Detail, 16 January.

United Nations Development Programme (2012) Human Development Index: accessible at: http://hdr.undp.org/en/statistics/hdi/ Wilson, S. (2011) Budget 2011-15, Statement to the Assembly: 4th March. Hansard: Official Record.