Austin Smyth

Cultural Attitudes, Parental Aspirations, and Socioeconomic Influence on Post-Primary School Selection in Northern Ireland.

ABSTRACT This research considers implications of planned reform of the education system in Northern Ireland for school choice and travel behavior. The school system is currently segregated on the basis of religion and academic ability at age 11. Discrete Choice Models based on a Stated Preference experiment included in a program of parental surveys yielded insights into likely responses of parents to both current options and potential reforms. Surprisingly, most parents would not be adverse to the removal of religious segregation from schools while availability of free school transport is not a significant factor in the school choice process. Aspirations of academic quality are higher among more affluent parents.

Differences in Control and Regulatory Structures of Public Transport within the United Kingdom and Ireland: Implications for Quality and Effectiveness of Service Delivery

Regulation and control of public transport is the subject of continuing debate in the United Kingdom and Ireland. In Great Britain, e.g., this stems from dissatisfaction with market liberalization. Elsewhere the concerns stem from pressures to liberalize the market and funding constraints. Such concerns and calls for further reform pose questions about the relative effectiveness of greater or reduced state involvement in public transport. This paper reviews evidence on the performance of public transport operators under a variety of control and regulations informed by benchmarking alternatives as well as funding under different regulatory systems. Various secondary data sources informed development of performance indicators for both bus and rail including level of service (vehicle kilometers) by per capita population, by region, population size, and population density; quality of service by fares and level of comfort; passenger satisfaction by operator across a suite of level of service parameters; and passengers per capita population, region, population size, and population density. This paper provides a commentary on the relative performances of the different types of public transport operator and informs an understanding of possible reasons for variations in performance under differing regulatory and control “models.”

School choice and travel patterns in Northern Ireland: economic, social, and environmental impacts of a complex system

The Northern Ireland government is implementing policy reforms to its education system. These reforms have generated much heated debate and division along political party lines. However, none of the controversy has addressed the implications of the current or potential arrangements for travel and sustainability. This paper considers the implications of the planned reform of the education system in Northern Ireland, some potential alternatives for school choice and travel behavior, and the financial, economic, and environmental impacts on society. The study is informed by in-depth household-based surveys that encompass school choice and travel patterns, attitudinal questions, and stated preference experiments. Northern Ireland offers an indication of the potential pitfalls other areas may encounter when emphasizing increased choice in education systems.