Editing Belfast (section)

== Education ==
{{See also|List of primary schools in Belfast|List of secondary schools in Belfast|List of grammar schools in Belfast}}

=== Primary and secondary education ===
Children from Catholic and Protestant homes in Belfast are taught, for the most part, separately on a pattern that, by the mid-nineteenth century, had been established throughout Ireland.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Smith |first=Alan |date=2001 |title=Religious Segregation and the Emergence of Integrated Schools in Northern Ireland |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/1050786 |url-status=live |journal=Oxford Review of Education |volume=27 |issue=4 |pages=559–575 |doi=10.1080/03054980120086248 |issn=0305-4985 |jstor=1050786 |s2cid=144419805 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210605220945/https://www.jstor.org/stable/1050786 |archive-date=5 June 2021 |access-date=5 June 2021 }}</ref> Primary and secondary education is divided between (Catholic) Maintained Schools and (non-Catholic/ "Protestant") Controlled Schools.<ref name=":7">{{Cite web |date=26 October 2015 |title=Types of school {{!}} nidirect |url=https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/types-school |access-date=26 January 2024 |website=nidirect.gov.uk |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127122615/https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/types-school |url-status=live }}</ref> They are bound by the same curriculum, but their teaching staff are trained separately (in the university colleges of [[St Mary's University College, Belfast|St Mary's]] and [[Stranmillis University College|Stranmillis]]).<ref>{{Cite news |date=10 December 2020 |title=Teacher training in NI 'reinforces sectarian divide' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-55238661 |access-date=26 January 2024 |work=BBC News |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127122615/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-55238661 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name=":23">{{Cite book |last=Maguire |first=William |title=Belfast, A History |publisher=Carnegie |year=2009 |isbn=978-1-85936-189-4 |location=Lancaster }}</ref>{{rp|200–202}}

Since the 1980s, two smaller school sectors have emerged: grant-maintained [[Integrated education in Northern Ireland|Integrated schools]], which by design bring together children and staff from both communities, and [[Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta|Irish language medium schools]]<ref name=":7" />

The [[Royal Belfast Academical Institution|Belfast [later ''Royal'' Belfast] Academical Institution]], opened its doors in 1810 with the intention, in the words of its founder, former [[Society of United Irishmen|United Irishman]], [[William Drennan]] of being "perfectly unbiased by religious distinctions".<ref>{{cite book |last1=Whelan |first1=Fergus |title=May Tyrants Tremble: The Life of William Drennan, 1754–1820 |date=2020 |publisher=Irish Academic Press |isbn=978-1-78855-121-2 |location=Dublin |pages=170–171 }}</ref> The principle was not embraced by the town's middle-classes: in practice "Inst" provided a [[Grammar school|grammar education]] to the town's Presbyterian families while Anglicans favoured the older [[Belfast Royal Academy|Royal Belfast Academy]] (1785); Catholics, [[St Malachy's College|St Malachy's]] [[Diocese|diocesan]] college (1833) and [[Wesleyans]], [[Methodist College Belfast]] (1865).

Denominational lines have since blurred, with Catholics in particular moving into the controlled grammars.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Borooah |first1=Vani K. |last2=Knox |first2=Colin |date=1 January 2015 |title=Segregation, inequality, and educational performance in Northern Ireland: Problems and solutions |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0738059314000947 |journal=International Journal of Educational Development |volume=40 |pages=196–206 |doi=10.1016/j.ijedudev.2014.09.002 |issn=0738-0593 }}</ref> But the presence of 18 [[:Category:Grammar schools in Belfast|selective grammar schools in Belfast]] is a further feature of post-primary education in Belfast that distinguishes it from that of comparable cities in Great Britain where academic selection was abandoned in the 1960s and 70s.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=Martin |last2=Donnelly |first2=Chris |last3=Shevlin |first3=Paddy |last4=Skerritt |first4=Craig |last5=McNamara |first5=Gerry |last6=O'Hara |first6=Joe |date=2021 |title=The Rise and Fall and Rise of Academic Selection: The Case of Northern Ireland |url=https://doi.org/10.1353/isia.2021.0060 |journal=Irish Studies in International Affairs |volume=32 |issue=2 |pages=477–498 |doi=10.1353/isia.2021.0060 |issn=2009-0072 }}</ref> Partly prompted by the [[COVID-19|COVID]] disruption of external testing in 2021/22,<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 January 2021 |title=Northern Ireland grammar schools decide against using academic criteria for pupil selection |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/northern-ireland-grammar-schools-decide-against-using-academic-criteria-for-pupil-selection/40000726.html |access-date=27 January 2024 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127122615/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/education/northern-ireland-grammar-schools-decide-against-using-academic-criteria-for-pupil-selection/40000726.html |url-status=live }}</ref> some the city's grammars have begun to review and amend the practice. It is not clear that this will be on terms that reduce the degree of social segregation they have represented within the system.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Selection and segregation: the big education issues in Northern Ireland {{!}} Tes |url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/schools-northern-ireland-segregation-grammar-schools-selection-funding |access-date=27 January 2024 |website=tes.com |archive-date=27 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240127122615/https://www.tes.com/magazine/analysis/general/schools-northern-ireland-segregation-grammar-schools-selection-funding |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2006, the [[Belfast Education and Library Board]] became part of the consolidated [[Education Authority]] for Northern Ireland. In Belfast, the Authority has responsibility for 156 primary,<ref>{{Cite web |title=Primary schools in Belfast, Northern Ireland {{!}} Page 2 |url=https://www.4ni.co.uk/sub/695x2/belfast-county-antrim/northern-ireland-primary-schools |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=4ni.co.uk }}</ref> and 48 [[List of secondary schools in Belfast|secondary]] schools (including the 18 grammars).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Secondary schools in Belfast, Northern Ireland |url=https://www.4ni.co.uk/sub/782x1/belfast-county-antrim/northern-ireland-secondary-schools |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=4ni.co.uk |archive-date=31 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240131202346/https://www.4ni.co.uk/sub/782x1/belfast-county-antrim/northern-ireland-secondary-schools |url-status=live }}</ref> The system is marked by stark inequalities in outcome.<ref>{{Cite news |date=15 August 2022 |title=Educational disadvantage gap virtually unchanged in 20 years, says report |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/educational-disadvantage-gap-virtually-unchanged-in-20-years-says-report/41914288.html |access-date=14 February 2024 |work=BelfastTelegraph.co.uk |issn=0307-1235 |archive-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214115810/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/uk/educational-disadvantage-gap-virtually-unchanged-in-20-years-says-report/41914288.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Around 30% of school leavers in the city do not attain 5 [[GCSE]]s, A* - C (including Maths and English). For those in receipt of free school meals, the figure rises to over 50%.<ref>{{Cite book |last=City Growth and Regeneration Committee |url=https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s70681/Addressing%20Educational%20Inequality%20-%20update%20on%20pilot%20project.pdf |title=Addressing Educational Inequality – update on pilot project |date=2018 |publisher=Belfast City Council |archive-date=14 February 2024 |access-date=14 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240214115812/https://minutes.belfastcity.gov.uk/documents/s70681/Addressing%20Educational%20Inequality%20-%20update%20on%20pilot%20project.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Further and Higher education ===
[[Belfast Metropolitan College]] ("Belfast Met") is a [[further education]] college with three main campuses around the city, including several smaller buildings. Formerly known as [[Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education]], it specialises in [[vocational education]]. The college has over 53,000 students enrolled on full-time and part-time courses, making it one of the largest further education colleges in the UK and the largest in the island of Ireland.<ref>{{cite web |year=2007 |title=Belfast Metropolitan College – About Us |url=http://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/aboutus/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216075936/http://www.belfastmet.ac.uk/aboutus/ |archive-date=16 December 2007 |access-date=12 December 2007 |publisher=Belfast Metropolitan College }}</ref>

Belfast has two universities. [[Queen's University Belfast]] was founded as a college in 1845. In 1908, the Catholic bishops lifted their ban on attendance and Queen's was granted university status.<ref name=":23" />{{rp|164, 166}} It is a member of the [[Russell Group]], an association of 24 leading research-intensive universities in the UK,<ref>{{cite web |year=2007 |title=About The Russell Group: Aims and objectives |url=http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/about.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070607022414/http://www.russellgroup.ac.uk/about.html |archive-date=7 June 2007 |access-date=24 May 2007 |publisher=The Russell Group }}</ref> and is one of the largest universities in the UK with over 25,000 students – among them over 4,000 international students.<ref>{{Cite news |date=16 December 2022 |title=Queen's University Belfast international students up by 20% |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-64000264 |access-date=31 January 2024 |work=BBC News |archive-date=1 February 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240201001931/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-64000264 |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Ulster University]], created in its current form in 1984, is a multi-centre university with a campus on the edge of the [[Cathedral Quarter, Belfast|Cathedral Quarter]] of Belfast. Since 2021, this original "Arts College" campus has undergone a £1.4bn expansion to accommodate offerings across all departments. The project promises to bring 15,500 staff and students into the city, and to generate 5,000 new jobs.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 November 2021 |title=Creating a brighter future for all – an update on the campus developments at Ulster University |url=https://www.ulster.ac.uk/alumniandsupporters/updates/other/creating-a-brighter-future-for-all-an-update-on-the-campus-developments-at-ulster-university |access-date=31 January 2024 |website=ulster.ac.uk }}</ref><ref name="Ulster280723"/>