Loss of communal morale, self worth and discipline
Back in 2001, research commissioned by the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) concluded that “the educational non-progressor was most likely to be a Protestant working class male.” writes Mark Langhammer in The Newsletter, Feb 15.
Since 2001 previous little has been done to address this conclusion – until now.
Several months ago, independent MLA Dawn Purvis has asked me to chair a working group of academics, educationalists and community activists to consider the issue. Our remit is to consider research on the under-performance of working class Protestants, while establishing what needs to be done. We have considered UK and international experience in tackling communal, ethnic or racial under-performance and have published a summary of research. Following last winter’s consultation, we have released a synopsis of the views received.
The research summary can only be described as shocking (see http://www.dawnpurvis.com ). More than three quarters of “LTE” (lower than expected) performing schools were in the predominantly Protestant controlled sector, mainly clustered in Belfast. Half of pupils going to those schools were eligible for free meals and a fifth had special educational needs. A socially disadvantaged pupil in a Catholic (maintained) school had double the chance of going to university than a similar pupil in a controlled (Protestant) school.
The performance gap between communities, narrow in the early years and in primary school, widens considerably in the secondary phase.
There is a high degree of academic agreement between researchers that approximately 85 per cent of the variation in pupil achievement is due to factors external to the school – mainly social class.
Other issues are at play, such as parental involvement, negative peer pressure, a decline in readiness for school in linguistic and behaviour terms as well as a lack of value placed on education in the community at large.
So, what are the specific issues that detrimentally affect the Protestant community?
Protestant working class participation in manufacturing industry from the Industrial Revolution has shaped and influenced its development. The loss of this industry in working class Protestant urban districts has led to a loss of communal morale, self worth and discipline.
Generations of working class Protestants in skilled labour markets viewed the route of ‘getting a trade’ as the main form of educational requirement. Given the predominance of trades and apprenticeships, educational attainment via schools or universities was never prioritised. The collapse in this labour market and movement towards a consumerist, service driven economy has left elements of the Protestant working class stranded.
More on selection to grammar schools and difference between RC and Protestant communities at: