Union representation on a working group has helped ensure that children in state care are included in a new education access action plan launched by Minster Simon Harris yesterday (Thursday).

This is the first time that children in state care have been included in efforts to widen access to higher education.

Gina O’Brien of Fórsa’s Higher Education Branch and Cait Ni Mhurchu of the union’s School Completion Programme Branch were members of the working group on the education needs of children in care, which has welcomed the inclusion of this underrepresented group.

There is no official data available to describe or track the educational attainment and progress of care-experienced young people, and the working group wants the higher education department collate this data.

The same consultation revealed a need to better understand or expand the targeted priority groups.

The latest plan identifies three groups who are underrepresented in higher education: students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, members of Irish Traveller and Roma communities, and those with disabilities including intellectual disabilities.

Fórsa representatives said achieving access, participation, and success in higher education for the priority groups was central to the objectives of the new plan.

The union's representatives said: “What we wanted heading into these consultations was for the ideal Irish student population to reflect the diversity of the population on the island, and this meant achieving accurate representation for the children in state care too. This is a significant development as it is the first time ever this inclusion has taken place, and it is the direct result of union representation on the group.”

“We had to make sure every voice was heard and represented in the plan so no one was barred from the basic essential right of accessing proper education. The diverse range of experts on the group including specialists in children in care educated us in highlighting this cohort of students’ issues,” they added.

Fórsa said the working group identified underrepresented groups in higher education and barriers that prevent their inclusion.

The access plan sits within the wider ambitions of the programme for government, which includes a commitment to accessible, affordable education for each citizen.

The access plan commits the country’s higher education institutions to be inclusive, universally designed environments which support and foster student success and outcomes, equity, and diversity. The institutions are also instructed to be responsive to the needs of students and wider communities.

In line with these ambitions, the Plan targets underrepresented students, vulnerable students, and students who have experienced disadvantage and who face challenges in accessing higher education and feeling they belong.

Read the national access plan HERE.