Computer studies in Northern Irish schools
Background
The Software Alliance, Northern Ireland exists to lobby and drive strategy and policy development to ensure that Northern Ireland becomes the world leading region for innovative software.
The Software Alliance acknowledges the inequity of access and low uptake of computing education in primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland. To tackle the computing education challenges, The Software Alliance Board will conduct a landscape review of the education ecosystem.
At Kainos, a company headquartered in Belfast and a member of the alliance, we recognise that computing education is important for our success. Alongside our other outreach activities, a first step is analysing the data of current and past computing education in Northern Ireland.
Methods
Given the available data, the task is to ask questions to tell a story about the state of Computing Studies (CS) education in Northern Ireland (NI), in Key Stages (KS) 4 and 5 (ages 14-18), representing GCSE and A-Level qualifications. We also see how it compares with other subjects such as Information and Communications Technology (ICT), a more well-known qualification that is less relevant for aspiring tech innovators.
The following data sets were made available:
- List of all CS and ICT delivered courses by school and year group in 2021-2022 for years 11-14 in Northern Ireland, from Entitlement Framework.
- Table of all GCSE and A Level exam entries and results by subject, from years 2015-2016 to 2020-2021 in Northern Ireland, from RM Education.
Values were extracted from the PDF tables, cleaned using python and joined with postcode data of NI schools. The data analysis was performed in Tableau.
Results
Below are some of the results included in the analysis. Each section asks a question that informs the data analysis. Hover over and click into the charts and maps to get more insight into the data.
How does engagement differ between Computer Studies and ICT?
In 2021-2022, there are many more pupils studying ICT than CS both Key Stages 4 and 5.
What are the regional differences in teaching availability in NI?
In 2021-2022, those schools offering Computer Studies are poorly distributed around NI…
…compared to those offering ICT. Note circle size represents number of pupils per school.
What courses are on offer?
In 2021-2022, CS features only once in the top 5 courses by pupils:
| Course Name | Subject | Number of pupils |
|---|---|---|
| OCN NI Level 2 Certificate in Information Technology Applications | ICT | 4590 |
| Pearson Edexcel BTEC Level 1 Level 2 First Award in Information and Creative Technology | ICT | 2721 |
| OCR Level 3 Cambridge Technical Introductory Diploma in IT (QCF) | ICT | 1464 |
| Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate in Information Technology | ICT | 1009 |
| OCR Level 1 Level 2 GCSE (9-1) in Computer Science | CS | 661 |
How have course numbers changed since 2015?
From 2015-2021, the total number of CS entries is consistently lower than some popular courses but comparable to others: