Educational migration – students leaving a region to study elsewhere: the link to religion in Northern Ireland

Hollywood, Emma; McQuaid, Ronald W

Abstract

This paper reviews data sources concerning the key patterns and drivers of educational migration and non-return in Northern Ireland (NI). In particular it considers the sources of data that can be used to analyse the migration of university undergraduate and graduate students. NI differs from the rest of the UK in that religion is seen as playing an important part in influencing the migration of students.
The principle research methods employed in the study are a review of the literature relating to educational migration and non-return and the analysis of a number of secondary data sources (McQuaid and Hollywood, 2008). The principle datasets used in this research include those from Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) and Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), who are the major providers of data on Higher Education (HE) for the UK. Data on community background, or religion, are only routinely collected in NI and not the rest of the UK, and for this we have drawn on the School Leavers Survey collected by the Department of Education NI (e.g. SLS, 2006; ECNI, 2006a and b). Additionally, data from Northern Ireland Neighbourhood Information Service (NINIS) on deprivation, community composition and social class, are used.
The remainder of this paper outlines the patterns and trends of educational migration amongst graduates and undergraduates; the key drivers of educational migration; and the conclusions.

Citation

Hollywood, E., & McQuaid, R. W. (2007). Educational migration – students leaving a region to study elsewhere: the link to religion in Northern Ireland. In C. Larsen, W. Mathejczyk, J. Kipper, & A. Schmid (Eds.), Monitoring of Regional Labour Markets in European States (17-22). Rainer Hampp Verlag

• Publication Date: 2007
• Deposit Date: Aug 27, 2009
• Publicly Available Date: Aug 27, 2009
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Pages: 17-22
• Book Title: Monitoring of Regional Labour Markets in European States
• ISBN: 9783866182691
• Keywords: educational migration; Northern Ireland; undergraduates; graduates; religion; influences; Universities; Colleges
• Public URL: http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/id/eprint/2804