The Client
Comhairle na Gaelscolaíochta (CnaG) was set up by the Department of Education in Northern Ireland with the aim of promoting, facilitating and encouraging Irish–medium education and Irish–medium schools in a planned, educationally efficient and cost effective way.
The Problem
In their efforts to help promote Irish–medium education, CnaG prepare detailed reports which provide a strategic assessment of the requirements for the Irish–medium education sector on a regional area basis.
For one such report, CnaG required a project specialist to assist in the preparation of a strategic assessment providing a detailed account of the arrangements required to meet the area planning requirements of the Irish–medium sector.
What We Did
Mallon provided CnaG with a highly experience GIS consultant. Through their experience they employed a GIS to carry out spatial analysis that would be used in the final report, to encapsulate the following:
- Preparation of an area profile, outlining current Irish–medium provisions using robust and verifiable data
- Examination of the current viability and future sustainability of existing provisions in line with the relevant Department of Education policies
- Planning for the future needs of the Irish–medium sector using robust verifiable data
- Identification of any under or over provisions within the Irish–medium education sector, taking into account cross boundary flows
- Identification of options to address under or over provisions within the Irish–medium education sector, taking account of cross boundary flows which deliver viable and sustainable schools
- Production of an area plan of Irish–medium education provision to meet future demand
As part of the final report, 50 maps were produced which detailed pupil distributions for all 5 education boards and individual Irish–medium schools, locations of available cross–border schools, pupil travel routes, locations of available facilities and locations of any areas where a new school is needed.
The Benefits
- Ability to view and examine pupil distribution for each board
- The visualisation of data on a map gives facts and figures a greater impact
- Bus routes and other travel options are easily viewable on a map
- Ability to view potential feeder schools for primary and secondary education
- Ability to view and examine population density around each school
- Ability to view and examine potential locations for new schools
- Creation and printing of highly detailed maps