Policies within my Department are not encompassed by the Education Sectoral meetings within the North-South Ministerial Council. This is led by my colleague, the Minister for Education.
However, since the establishment of my Department in August 2020, there were two completed research projects, commissioned by the Shared Island Unit of the Department of Taoiseach, and undertaken by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). These are:
Comparison of North South Education Systems: Published in April 2022, this study, based on international and national survey data, administrative data and interviews with policy stakeholders, examined the commonalities and differences between the education systems in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
North South Student Mobility: Published in September 2023, this research analysed trends in Student Mobility in higher education between Ireland, Northern Ireland and Great Britain.
Both reports have provided useful evidence to my Department, which has facilitated a number of initiatives to deepen collaboration in tertiary education on a North-South basis.
