Using GIS analysis to examine home-school travel in a divided education system: the case of Northern Ireland

Home-school transport is an expensive component within many education systems, and is particularly costly in countries where school choice is encouraged. Within divided societies like Northern Ireland, a combination of school choice, academic selection and a divided society results in educational divisions which pose an even larger problem for the provision of home-school travel. This paper uses a Geographical Information System to analyse and quantify the additional costs of home-school transport in Northern Ireland. The additional travel undertaken in a complex educational structure is calculated and the pressing economic and environmental costs are estimated, alongside the less easily quantified social impact. The impact is considerable on all of these measures, strengthening the case for a radical review of educational provision in Northern Ireland. Removing duplication and reducing unnecessary choice would produce a more efficient and less costly system of education, while also contributing to increased social cohesion.