Transfer test: Belfast children from low income families to be given free tuition – BBC

Report on the Foodstock Education and Empowerment Centre’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals

Introduction

A new initiative, the Foodstock Education and Empowerment Centre, has been launched in Belfast to provide free academic support to children from low-income families. This report analyses the centre’s objectives and operational model in the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on its impact on poverty, education, inequality, and social cohesion.

Core Objectives and Alignment with SDG 4: Quality Education

The centre’s primary mission is to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education for all, directly addressing SDG 4. It aims to improve educational outcomes for children from disadvantaged backgrounds by removing barriers to academic success.

• Provision of Free Tuition: The centre offers free, high-quality tuition in English, Maths, and reasoning for primary pupils in years six and seven preparing for the Schools’ Entrance Assessment Group (SEAG) tests. This directly supports SDG Target 4.1, which aims to ensure all children complete free, equitable, and quality primary education.
• Holistic Support: In addition to academic tuition, the facility provides wellbeing support and one-to-one assistance for children facing particular challenges, promoting an inclusive learning environment as outlined in SDG 4.
• Empowerment Through Education: As stated by founder Paul Doherty, the initiative seeks to “tackle the longer impacts of poverty through education” and “empower people to better their lives.”

Addressing Socioeconomic Disparities: A Focus on SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)

The initiative is a targeted intervention designed to mitigate the effects of poverty on educational attainment and reduce systemic inequalities.

1. Breaking the Cycle of Poverty (SDG 1): By providing educational resources that families in financial difficulty cannot afford, the centre helps to break the intergenerational cycle of poverty. It removes a significant financial barrier that often prevents children from low-income households from accessing opportunities for academic advancement.
2. Levelling the Playing Field (SDG 10): The centre explicitly aims to “level the playing field.” Research indicates that private tuition can significantly increase a child’s chances of securing a place at a grammar school. By offering this service for free, the centre works to reduce the inequality of opportunity between children from different socioeconomic backgrounds.
3. Targeted Intervention: Eligibility is focused on pupils from areas of high deprivation, ensuring that support reaches those most affected by inequality, in line with the principles of SDG 10.

Fostering Social Cohesion and Peace: Contribution to SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)

In the context of Belfast, the centre’s operational model also contributes to building a more peaceful and inclusive society, a key component of SDG 16.

• Cross-Community Engagement: Supporter Carl Frampton praised the centre’s cross-community ethos and its central location, which encourages participation from all communities in a city historically marked by division. This fosters an inclusive environment that promotes peace and mutual understanding.
• Countering Systemic Division: A 2022 Queen’s University paper suggested that academic selection in Northern Ireland perpetuates societal division. By making test preparation accessible to all, the centre helps to mitigate one of the system’s most divisive and inequitable aspects.
• Building Inclusive Institutions: The centre acts as an inclusive institution that provides equal opportunity to all children, regardless of their community or background, thereby strengthening the social fabric. Director of Strategy Ciaran Toman confirmed the goal is to “reach people right across the city regardless of community.”

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

1. SDG 1: No Poverty
   • The article directly addresses poverty by focusing on providing free services to “children from low-income families” and those from “disadvantaged backgrounds.” The founder, Paul Doherty, states the center will “tackle the longer impacts of poverty through education,” linking educational support directly to poverty alleviation.
2. SDG 4: Quality Education
   • This is the central theme of the article. The initiative establishes an “Education and Empowerment Centre” to provide “free, high quality tuition” to primary school pupils. The goal is to improve educational outcomes and remove financial barriers to supplementary education, ensuring a more equitable chance at academic advancement.
3. SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • The article’s core mission is to “level the playing field” and provide “equal opportunity” for children regardless of their financial situation. It highlights a Queen’s University paper finding that the existing system “disadvantages the already most disadvantaged,” which the new center aims to counteract, thereby reducing educational and social inequality.
4. SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • The article mentions the “cross-community aspect of the centre” and its importance in a city that “can be very tribal.” By creating a centrally located, inclusive space that helps children “regardless of community,” the initiative contributes to building stronger, more integrated communities and fostering social cohesion, which is a key aspect of this goal.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

1. Targets for SDG 1: No Poverty
   • Target 1.2: By 2030, reduce at least by half the proportion of men, women and children of all ages living in poverty in all its dimensions according to national definitions. The article supports this by aiming to “tackle the longer impacts of poverty through education,” which is a key strategy for breaking intergenerational poverty cycles.
2. Targets for SDG 4: Quality Education
   • Target 4.1: By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes. The center provides free and equitable access to quality tuition to help primary pupils transition effectively to post-primary (secondary) schools.
   • Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education… for the vulnerable… and children in vulnerable situations. The initiative explicitly targets vulnerable children from “low income families” and “areas of high deprivation” to ensure they have equal access to educational opportunities.
3. Targets for SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
   • Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… economic or other status. The center’s goal to “empower people to better their lives” through education, specifically targeting those with “financial difficulties,” directly aligns with promoting inclusion regardless of economic status.
   • Target 10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome… The entire premise of the center is to “level the playing field” and counter the inequality of outcome where children from wealthier families can afford private tuition, which “doubled the likelihood of attending a grammar school.”
4. Targets for SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
   • Target 16.7: Ensure responsive, inclusive, participatory and representative decision-making at all levels. While not governmental, the center acts as an inclusive institution. Its “cross-community aspect” and aim to “reach people right across the city regardless of community” demonstrates a commitment to inclusivity in a divided society.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

1. Indicators for SDG 1 (No Poverty) and SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities)
   • Proportion of pupils from low-income families or areas of high deprivation enrolled in the program: The article states, “Eligibility will be for pupils that need it most, such as those from areas of high deprivation or low income families.” Tracking this proportion would directly measure whether the center is reaching its target demographic.
2. Indicators for SDG 4 (Quality Education)
   • Number of pupils receiving free tuition: The article mentions the center will provide support for “primary pupils in years six and seven.” A simple count of beneficiaries would be a primary indicator of the program’s reach.
   • Improvement in academic performance: The center offers “weekly small group tuition in English, Maths and reasoning.” Progress can be measured by assessing the academic improvement of the children attending, particularly in their performance on the SEAG tests.
   • Admission rates to grammar schools for disadvantaged pupils: The article notes that private tuition significantly increases the chances of attending a grammar school. An indicator of the center’s success would be an increased admission rate for the disadvantaged children it supports, thus “levelling the playing field.”
3. Indicators for SDG 16 (Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions)
   • Diversity of participants’ community backgrounds: The article emphasizes the “cross-community aspect” and the goal to “reach people right across the city regardless of community.” An indicator of success would be the number of children from different community backgrounds participating, demonstrating the center’s role as an inclusive institution.

4. Summary Table of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: bbc.com