Applications are now open to candidates in Northern Ireland for The Big Education Challenge, the UK competition for innovators with transformative ideas for the education sector with a £1m prize fund.
Organised by education charity Big Change, the Challenge is open to young people and more experienced applications and seeks to use the lived experience of its participants to transform education and learning.
The Challenge is made up of two prizes: the Groundbreaker Prize of up to £300,000 for young people aged 18-25, and the Gamechanger Prize of up to £700,000.
For the former, up to 10 finalists will receive grants of up to £10,000 to develop and test their ideas, and one of them will win £50,000 to full pilot their idea, with two runners-up each receiving £25,000.
In the latter category, up to five finalists will receive grants of £50,000 to develop and test their ideas, with the winner getting £200,000 to pilot their idea, and two runners-up receiving £150,000 and £50,000.
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Finalists will also benefit from £100,000 (Groundbreaker) and £50,000 (Gamechanger) in expert support for development and testing prior to final judging.
The deadline for application entries is midnight on 22 February, and the finalists for both prizes will be announced in April.
The initiative coincides with the release of new research demonstrating widespread frustration with the education system in Northern Ireland. The Opinium survey was conducted among a nationally representative survey of 2,000 people in November.
Close to three-quarters of people in the North (73%) believe the UK needs "a bold, long-term vision for education that all parts of society contribute to," and 59% think the current systems doesn't sufficiently cater for students struggling with their mental health.
The Northern Irish eduction system faces challenges such as underfunding, underachievement in some sectors and social and economic division. A recent UN report highlighted widespread regression in children's rights in Northern Ireland in the past six years.
“This is an excellent opportunity for the young people and experienced innovators of Northern Ireland to share their bold ideas, be listened to and make a difference to the future of education," Gareth Chambers, CEO of Newry-based Around Noon and ambassador for the Big Education Challenge.
"I would encourage anyone who believes that they have what it takes to make a difference to apply to this fantastic opportunity.
"It’s clear that our current UK education system is not working for everyone and too many young people are being left behind and who better to catalyse and accelerate change in education than those who have experienced it most recently.”
Holly Branson, trustee and founder of Big Change said: “The current UK education system is too exam-focused and I strongly believe that the lack of diversity in the curriculum narrows the mind.
“The exam-based, ‘one size fits all’ approach, does not work for too many young people and those who support them. It does not support diversity and individuality, and teenagers’ wellbeing too often comes at the cost of doing well in high-stakes exams.
“It’s so important that we work towards transformation of education – to a system where individuality is not only permitted, but valued as part of success. Young people themselves must be given the power to change a system that’s not working - this is exactly what the Big Education Challenge hopes to achieve.”
Photo: Gareth Chambers. (Pic: Press Eye/Darren Kidd)
