Source document: https://docs-lawep.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/1697803728691.pdf (Ireland)
Version at 14/2/23 Presentation to the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science on North South Student Enrolment in Tertiary Education Martin McKendry, College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE) Director Tuesday, 21 February 2023, 12:30pm Committee Room 2, LH2000, Leinster House Speaking notes for opening statement (max 750 words)       Thank you Chair for the invitation to speak to you and the committee today on North South Student Enrolment in Tertiary Education.
I would like to outline CAFRE’s role in the Northern Ireland education system, its governance structure, how it is used as a key policy lever in the delivery of government policy, some key facts and figures about CAFRE and attendance of students from the Republic of Ireland on its courses.

CAFRE is the only land-based college in Northern Ireland.
It delivers Further and Higher Education, knowledge transfer and innovation programmes across the disciplines of agriculture, horticulture, food, equine and rural enterprise.

It caters for 2,000 Further Education and Higher Education enrolments per annum across three campuses based in Antrim (Greenmount), Cookstown (Loughry) and Enniskillen.

and delivers knowledge transfer and innovation programmes to approximately 14,000 learners working within Northern Ireland’s agri-food industry.
CAFRE has a corporate governance structure unique within the islands of Great Britain and Ireland in that it is the only land-based college that operates as a division of a government department.

This means all CAFRE staff, including myself, are employees of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

I, as CAFRE Director, report to the Deputy Secretary of Food and Farming Group in the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) in the North.
CAFRE has a College Advisory Group that provides advice on strategic and operational issues to the CAFRE management team.

The Group has 12 members and has expertise across all sectors of the agri-food industry.

The legislative basis for CAFRE, and therefore DAERA’s involvement in education, knowledge transfer and innovation is provided by the Agriculture Act of 1949 that empowers DAERA to provide instruction in agriculture and related subjects.
This means CAFRE operates outside of the ambit of the Department for Economy who created the legislative framework for the establishment of Further Education colleges and for the funding of both Further Education colleges and Higher Education Institutions.

1      Given CAFRE’s position in DAERA, the nature and content of its programme delivery and business plan is determined by the DAERA Knowledge Framework.
This framework sets out DAERA’s rationale for involvement in education, knowledge transfer and innovation and commits to improving educational attainment in the North’s agri food sector.

It is underpinned by a range of principles including commitments to lifelong learning, accessibility of programmes and enhanced collaboration and partnership across the education sector.

CAFRE has always had Republic of Ireland enrolments on it’s education courses, however this varies with the discipline.
Equine is the most popular discipline with Republic of Ireland students comprising nearly 4 in 10 enrolments.

However, in the past 10 years there has been a drop in enrolments in our other disciplines, so at a college level Republic of Ireland enrolments have been slowly falling from nearly 10% of the Further and Higher Education student body in 2012/13 to 5% last year.
I would suggest that there are several reasons for this decline including, but not necessarily limited to, competition with new and emerging programmes in the Republic of Ireland, differentials in fees, challenges with marketing of programmes in the recent pandemic years, and, as has been alluded to in both the report and at last weeks session, the misalignment of the UCAS and CAO systems.
I should point out that those larger structural issues like the applications process would be addressed by the Department for Education in the North.

DAERA and CAFRE would take their lead from them.

I welcome the opportunity to engage with you to look at potential steps that could be taken to reduce any frictions affecting cross-border flows in both the Further and Higher Education sectors.
You should note though, as Heather Cousins raised last week, that any recommendations for policy change in Northern Ireland would be impacted by the current lack of an Executive and any policy decisions would be for an incoming Minister.

I would like to thank the Joint Committee for the opportunity to discuss the Committee’s report and to share with you the role CAFRE plays in the delivery of agri-food related education, knowledge transfer and innovation.

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