By Ellen Finlay
As we approach the RISE Conference, a summit organised and envisioned by Emma Shaw, CEO of the Phoenix Education Centre, the focus is on a critical theme: “It’s a Class Issue.” This conference will spotlight the intersecting issues of social housing, criminal recidivism, health outcomes, and educational disadvantage. These aren’t isolated challenges; they are connected by a shared root in class and poverty. For young people growing up in Northern Ireland’s working-class communities—particularly in Protestant and other disadvantaged regions—these factors create a cycle that’s difficult to break without targeted policies and increased funding for community-based educational support like that offered by Phoenix.
Class and Poverty Drive Educational Disadvantage In Northern Ireland, young people from low-income, working-class backgrounds frequently encounter the highest levels of educational disadvantage. For example, only 37.9% of Protestant working-class boys eligible for Free School Meals achieve the GCSE benchmark of five GCSEs, including English and Maths. This significant achievement gap isn’t solely about the quality of education but reflects the absence of policies that address the fundamental issues of poverty and class. Educational disadvantage in Northern Ireland has become a clear class issue: poverty limits access to stable housing, healthcare, early childhood development, and supportive learning environments, which all heavily influence a young person’s ability to succeed in school.
Criminal Recidivism Linked to Educational Disadvantage Criminal recidivism is also closely linked to educational disadvantage, poverty, and class issues in Northern Ireland. Young people from deprived, working-class communities, especially those who leave school without qualifications, often face limited job prospects, which can push some toward criminal activity as a means of income. Without early intervention and access to stable housing, education, and support services, these individuals are more likely to become involved in the criminal justice system repeatedly.
Community-based organisations like the Phoenix Education Centre play a crucial role in breaking this cycle by offering skills training, mentoring, and mental health support, giving young people the tools they need to pursue legitimate employment and stability. However, for these efforts to make a lasting impact, Northern Ireland needs a cross-departmental approach that combines criminal justice reforms with educational and social supports to reduce recidivism effectively.
How the Phoenix Education Centre Helps The Phoenix Education Centre in East Belfast is a critical example of community-based support addressing these layered challenges at the grassroots level. By offering literacy support, mental health resources, and accredited skill-building courses, Phoenix provides essential services tailored to the needs of working-class communities. The Centre’s programmes are designed not only to meet academic needs but also to provide a safe, supportive environment that acknowledges the social and emotional challenges faced by young people in disadvantaged areas.
Phoenix’s initiatives, such as mentoring and essential skills courses, build confidence, resilience, and practical knowledge, empowering young people to envision brighter futures. For example, their courses in mental health and wellbeing provide tools that help young people cope with the everyday stresses of growing up in poverty, where resources are scarce and pressures are high. However, Phoenix can only reach a fraction of those in need; sustainable, long-term government funding and support are essential to expanding the reach of these programmes across more disadvantaged communities.
The Need for an Anti-Poverty Strategy Northern Ireland has been without a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy for over a decade, leaving disadvantaged communities to address these systemic challenges alone. For many working-class families, high rates of poverty create a stressful environment that negatively impacts young people’s education. Low-income families often face housing insecurity, barriers to healthy food, and limited access to essential healthcare—factors that collectively prevent children from fully engaging with school. An anti-poverty strategy would lay the groundwork for addressing educational disadvantage by tackling income inequality, affordable housing, and healthcare access, all of which are crucial to supporting a child’s educational journey from the start.
A Missing Childcare and Early Development Strategy Affordable, high-quality childcare supports both children’s early development and their parents’ ability to work. Northern Ireland’s lack of a comprehensive childcare strategy leaves many working-class families without reliable childcare options. This is especially challenging for single-parent and low-income families, who may need to take on multiple jobs to make ends meet. A well-developed childcare strategy would provide children with a stable environment where they can develop essential social and cognitive skills while enabling parents to support their families more effectively.
The Phoenix Education Centre recognises the importance of early intervention and offers support programmes for children. However, these programmes cannot substitute for a wider, government-backed strategy on childcare and early development, which is urgently needed to provide a fair start for children in working-class communities across Northern Ireland.
Housing and Health Inequity Hold Families Back Stable housing and accessible healthcare are essential for young people’s development and educational success. For working-class families in Northern Ireland, housing insecurity is an ongoing challenge. Frequent moves or unstable living situations can disrupt a young person’s school routine and sense of security, making it difficult to succeed academically. Limited access to healthcare is another barrier, particularly in low-income areas where untreated physical and mental health issues are more common. Phoenix offers a stable environment and consistent support for young people, helping to fill the gaps where government policies fall short. However, a government response that addresses housing and health inequalities is necessary to build on Phoenix’s work and ensure that young people can focus on learning without being burdened by instability at home.
The Department of Health’s Live Better Initiative The Department of Health’s Live Better initiative is a vital step toward addressing health inequalities in Northern Ireland’s most deprived areas, where life expectancy and health outcomes are significantly lower than in more affluent regions. While promising, this initiative needs to be part of a larger, joined-up approach across all government departments to address the underlying social determinants of health, including housing, education, and economic policy, to create lasting change.
A Call for Joined-Up Solutions addressing educational disadvantage requires a cross-sector, cross-departmental response that recognises the interconnected issues of housing, health, and childcare, with a comprehensive anti-poverty strategy at its core. Local organisations like Phoenix play a crucial role in supporting young people who are at risk of falling through the cracks, but they need the backing of sustained government funding to make a lasting impact.
Northern Ireland’s young people deserve a fair start, and tackling educational disadvantage through a class-focused approach is essential to breaking this cycle. It’s time to recognise that this is a class issue and that addressing it requires joined-up solutions that tackle poverty at every level.
Free Tickets Available
Join us at the RISE Summit and be part of the conversation on education reform in East Belfast. Tickets are free and can be reserved through the link below.