AN academic from St Mary’s University College on the Falls Road is set to lead a research project funded by the Irish government which will look at educational underachievement across the island.
 
Julie Hamilton will work on the Shared Island Research Partnership alongside Dr Melanie Ní Dhuinn and Dr Julie Uí Choistealbha from Marino Institute of Education in Dublin and will eventually report back to the Irish government with recommendations on how the education systems North and South could be adapted to boost achievement.
 
Explaining her work, Julie told the Andersonstown News: “What we are trying to do is to think about how student teachers can engage with educational underachievement. It is a really important area both North and South and it is something as a college that we are really excited to be involved in as it is such a big issue across the island.
 
“We are committed to making a difference to the lives of young people and we are committed to serving the teaching profession. The idea behind this project is to help our student teachers, not just as professionals when they are qualified but while they are training to engage with some of the challenges and to understand their role in changing and influencing children’s aspirations and their potential.”

The group will look particularly at primary school pupils and how they see their aspirations for the future. In a separate strand, they will look at how student teachers change those aspirations and how they can influence the children. 
 
The project is set to report in autumn 2022 with the hope that it will inform policy across the island. 
 
Welcoming the funding of the projects, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said: “I am very happy to be announcing the successful projects awarded funding under this partnership between the Shared Island unit in my Department and the Standing Conference on Teacher Education, North and South (SCoTENS).  
 
“Tackling educational underachievement is a core priority of mine and this Government.  Through collaborative North/South projects such as this we can learn lessons about how to enhance supports for children at risk of educational underachievement, and improve the outcomes and quality of life for children and young people right across this island.  
 
“I would like to wish the researchers well as they begin their work and I look forward to reading their findings next year.”