The third and final peer-learning activity (PLA) in the Quality Assurance, Monitoring and Accountability (QAMA) activity took place in Belfast, United Kingdom (Northern Ireland), at the end of November. The PLA explored ways to support education by connecting policy, practice and data use across schools and systems.
This PLA was hosted by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland and co-organised by the Italian Ministry of Education. Representatives from all six QAMA countries – Austria, Belgium (Flemish community), Greece, Italy, Northern Ireland and Spain – attended the two-day event, which consisted of school visits, stakeholder presentations and working sessions.
Given Northern Ireland’s status as a post-conflict society, with continuing divisions between Roman Catholic and Protestant (Reformed) communities in Belfast, Janis Scallon and Emmet McCann from the Department of Education gave participants an overview of the local education system. This was followed by visits to two schools, where the group observed both the strengths and challenges of delivering inclusive education in the region. The group toured the schools and had the opportunity to engage directly with school staff and learners and find out how school teams work together with their wider communities to advance inclusion for all learners.
Throughout the PLA, participants reflected on their impressions of the two school visits, discussing the schools’ different approaches, strengths and challenges and the similarities or differences with schools in their own countries.
Andrea Santilli from the Italian Ministry of Education shared strategies and examples of data collection for monitoring and evaluating support for learners with special educational needs. Data specialists from the Education Information Solutions Programme and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency presented Northern Ireland’s innovative approach to data management. Their approach is designed to unify previously separate data sources on learners, achieved through extensive cross-sector collaboration. This integrated approach marks a significant step forward in supporting inclusive education across the region.
Findings and discussions from the PLA will be used to further develop the QAMA framework, which will be published in 2026.
More information is available on the QAMA web area.
