KESS Marginalised Group Access to Higher Education & Employment

1.30pm: Welcome

1.35pm: Opening Remarks

1.45pm: From Margins to Belonging: Evidence from Participatory Research on Roma Access to Higher Education in Northern Ireland

Dr Raluca Roman, School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics (HAPP), Queen’s University Belfast

Gypsy, Traveller, Roma, Showmen and Boater (GTRSB) communities remain amongst the most underrepresented groups in Higher Education (HE) across Great Britain and Northern Ireland, despite increasing policy efforts to widen participation and educational equality. This presentation draws on a programme of qualitative, participatory and community-engaged research examining the structural, cultural and institutional barriers shaping Roma and wider GTRSB access to HE and emerging models of effective practice. Relevant to Assembly deliberations concerning two forthcoming bills – the Race Equality Bill and the 16–18s in Education or Training Bill - the presentation shares academic findings on how HE policy can better account for the experiences of marginalised ethnic groups and how participatory and preventative approaches can contribute to improved HE outcomes. It brings together evidence from three interlinked initiatives: first, a participatory film I Want to Be A… (2025), developed in collaboration with Roma families, the Education Authority Northern Ireland and community partners, which documents mediated conversations between Roma parents, educators and institutional stakeholders, foregrounding lived experiences of schooling, communication barriers, mistrust of institutions and aspirations for children’s futures. The film provides both qualitative data and a knowledge-exchange tool offering insight into how educational inequalities are produced and experienced at community level. Second, the exploratory Roma Mentorship Programme at Queen’s University Belfast, a year-long initiative supporting Roma pupils through mentorship, creative learning and sustained engagement with the university environment. The presentation shares early findings from the Programme, which highlight the importance of relational trust, visibility and culturally responsive practice both in shaping educational confidence and aspiration and in providing evidence on how universities can act as active partners in widening participation, rather than distant institutions. Third, the presentation shares findings from the May 2026 symposium Advancing GTRSB Inclusion and Belonging in Higher Education - a forum for academic researchers, policy/law makers, community organisations and young people to consider research evidence and insights gained in the area - regarding data, sectoral responsibility and approaches linking education, equality, and community policy. The presentation concludes offering clear, non-prescriptive considerations for policy/law-makers, focusing on early intervention, cross-sector partnership, data visibility and the role of HE institutions in advancing educational equity in Northern Ireland.

2.05pm: From Entitlement to Enforceable Rights: Strengthening Post-19 Pathways for Learners with Special Educational Needs in Northern Ireland

Prof Noel Purdy OBE, Dr Emilia Symington & Dr Katie Tate, Stranmillis University College, Belfast

Northern Ireland’s post-19 landscape for learners with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is characterised by fragmented provision, outdated legislative foundations and persistent gaps between rights, policy intent and lived experience. This presentation brings together learning from three inter-related research projects completed over the past year by the Centre for Research in Educational Underachievement at Stranmillis University College, to present academic findings that are relevant to Assembly deliberations on forthcoming bills relating to disability, higher education (HE) and employment. The first project - a 2025 comparative review of post-19 SEN legislative frameworks across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland - revealed the extent to which Northern Ireland remains an outlier in this area. Northern Ireland continues to rely on legislation predating both devolution and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), while the other examined jurisdictions have modernised legal frameworks and embedded rights-based principles. Findings from the review directly informed the 2025 Department for the Economy (DfE) review of post-school provision. The second project was a DfE-funded feasibility study of Trinity College Dublin’s Centre for People with Intellectual Disabilities, which culminated in the April 2025 Pathways to Inclusion Report. The study synthesised national and international evidence, alongside stakeholder consultation to examine the viability of inclusive HE in Northern Ireland. Findings demonstrated how structured, rights-based approaches to post-compulsory education can enhance life chances for learners with intellectual disabilities, while highlighting the importance of clear statutory duties, cross-departmental accountability and sustained policy commitment. The third project - the Epic Futures Transform Project - employed a mixed-methods design to explore transitions from education to employment for young people with SEND in Northern Ireland. Drawing on the perspectives of young people, families, educators, employers and officials, the project reported in December 2025, identifying systemic barriers, including inconsistent statutory duties, weak accountability mechanisms and limited routes to redress, which undermine the realisation of rights in practice. The presentation provides valuable insights based on the noted three academic projects, seeking to support Assembly scrutiny.

2.25pm: Discussion

2.55pm: Closing

3.00pm: Networking & Refreshments

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