International Day of Education

Jim Shannon Excerpts

Thursday 23rd January 2025 Westminster Hall

[Jim Shannon (Strangford) (DUP)]

I congratulate the hon. Member for Southgate and Wood Green (Bambos Charalambous) on setting the scene and giving hon. Members the chance to participate in this debate. It is a pleasure to serve under your chairship, Sir Desmond—I think this might be your first time chairing Westminster Hall, and if it is I wish you well for the future, but if it is not, I apologise for not being here whenever you were here before. I am not quite sure how that could have happened, but that is by the way.

It is a pleasure to speak about this massive issue. Education is the cornerstone of our society—a vital tool that empowers individuals and strengthens communities. As we mark International Day of Education, I wish to focus—it probably will not come as a surprise to hon. Members here—on the role of freedom of religion and belief, and the policies we have implemented in Northern Ireland. I will focus on what we do in Northern Ireland and how it affects education in other parts of the world; in my constituency of Strangford, it is basically all done through the mission societies, mission groups and churches. In Northern Ireland, we promote equitable access to education and foster community wellbeing globally, because we believe that is what we should be doing.

Education is not merely the transmission of knowledge; it is also, very much so—as the Minister and other Members will be aware—the foundation of human dignity and freedom, and it is therefore vital. All hon. Members’ contributions today will be excellent—I never doubt that. The hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth (Richard Foord) outlined some of the countries across the world where the problems are now, and I want to focus on them too, when I get the chance. Around the world we see how education serves as a cornerstone of development, fostering equality and creating opportunities for millions. That is the purpose of education.

As a grandfather, I am now watching my two youngest grandchildren—Freya, who is four, and Ezra, who is two and a half—learning in nursery classes, and seeing their thirst for knowledge. That is just at my house for about three days a week whenever I am home, but I see through them what others across the world would wish to achieve. That is why this is important.

In some regions, children are deprived of their right to education, simply because of their religious identity or beliefs. Denying education based on those grounds violates not just human rights, but the very principles of humanity and fairness. On this International Day of Education, we have an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring that every child—irrespective of their religion, ethnicity or gender—has access to a quality education. Through this debate, we also champion freedom of religion or belief, standing against all forms of discrimination that threaten the right to learn—a very basic request, but a priority that we must all focus on.

In Northern Ireland, we are very proud of our charitable giving, which is the highest per capita in the whole United Kingdom—and I believe that, compared to the rest of the world, for a population of 1.9 million, it is probably the highest anywhere. It is deeply rooted in our Christian faith, reflecting our values of compassion and stewardship. The Bible is very clear: one tenth of our earnings should go to the Lord’s work. I am not better than anybody else—I never will be or try to be—but I try to adhere to that biblical rule, as many others do.

Much of our generosity is directed towards supporting children and young people in health and education, both locally and globally. Faith-based charities and local churches play an instrumental role in supporting feeding and educational programmes worldwide. These initiatives bring hope to some of the most vulnerable communities, offering not just education, but nourishment, safety and the promise of a better tomorrow.

The Eden church in my town has a mission. It goes to Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Malawi, and every year, the Swaziland choir comes over—every one of the children in that choir has, unfortunately, been affected by AIDS, which in most cases they contracted through their parents while in the womb. They have a most incredible talent for singing; I do not—whenever I sing the rain comes on—but whenever they sing, it transports me. That is one of the charities that the missions support: helping young children with AIDS, who, without these missions, would probably not have the hope of an education, health or a future at all.

Eden church is not the only one that does that—there are many more. I am very blessed in my constituency of Strangford to have many churches that are all committed to the very same thing. I understand they do work in Sudan, Congo, South Africa, and Nigeria, which I mention because I have had the chance to visit it.

Everyone has mentioned the international gaps filled by charitable giving, but I cannot help but mention the disparity—I will make this comment but it is not for Minister to respond to at all—between per capita funding for Northern Irish students and other UK students.

FORB—freedom of religion or belief—is the universal human right that guarantees individuals the freedom to have, adopt, change, or leave a religion or belief, as well as to manifest it without coercion. In other words, people can practise that freedom in the way that they so wish, whether they are a Christian, of another religion, or none at all; that is what I believe in. This freedom is closely intertwined with education. Children and young people must be free from discrimination based on their religion or belief, or that of their parents. Faith-based organisations often lead the way in advocating for those principles, ensuring access to education for marginalised and vulnerable communities worldwide.

When the hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth mentioned Sudan and Congo, he reminded me of Nigeria, where I was around two or three years ago—time goes so quick. I remember meeting some Christians from a north-east state of Nigeria who were displaced to the central plateau, and some Muslims who were displaced as well; education, even in those displaced camps, was still important. Who drove that? Governments were helping, but it was mostly the charitable groups, the NGOs and people outside of Government policy or strategy who were actually doing it. The volunteers were teaching at a rudimentary level, but it was an education and it was so vital.

I also think of whole schools of young girls in Nigeria who have been kidnapped by Boko Haram and Daesh, and some have never been freed. Unfortunately, as so often happens at an early age, they are abused by their captors and they end up with children as well. One such example is Leah Sharibu, who was kidnapped about seven years ago and never been returned to her parents. She is now a mother of two children, according to the information that has come out. Even now, when she is a lady and no longer a school pupil or teenager, we think of her in captivity, as we think of all those young girls who are eager to be reunited with their families.

The hon. Member for Honiton and Sidmouth was right to mention what is happening in Sudan, but unfortunately the same thing is happening in other parts of the world. I have been fortunate to visit Pakistan on two occasions, and I have seen the rudimentary housing in which Christians live. I always remember my first visit, when we saw two or three volunteer teachers teaching children of all ages, from four to 16, in one massive class, and they were all getting the education that was coming through. Again, education is so important to give children opportunity and chance, as well as hope, which is also important.

Pakistan sets aside 5% to 6% of jobs for Christians. However, for young Christians—I mention this because they were the people I was speaking to—those job opportunities can come only if they have the education to become a nurse, a doctor or a teacher and to move on. The last time we were there, we met the archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church in Pakistan, who outlined what they were doing with their schoolchildren to give them opportunities. Personally, it gave me heart to hear what was happening, but there are many people who fall outside that.

Again, education is so important, and we need to do a whole lot to make it happen. It is about opportunity, equality, human rights and somebody having the same chance to go for a job as somebody else who just happens to be a Muslim or a Hindu. Religion is not important; it is about a person’s ability to do the job, so the opportunities should be there for them.

Research consistently shows that high-quality early education has long-term benefits, particularly for children from disadvantaged backgrounds. Expanding access to early education programmes and ensuring that they are adequately funded should be a priority. As the Minister knows, I am incredibly pleased to see her in her place. She very ably grasps our requests and does her darndest to ensure that our questions are answered, so I look forward to what she has to say. I also look forward to the contribution from the shadow Minister, the right hon. Member for Aldridge-Brownhills (Wendy Morton). We have fought many debates together, and we have been on the same side many times. We will be on the same side today as well, and I look forward to her contribution. By making early education a priority, we not only support individual children but strengthen families and communities, creating a ripple effect of opportunity and hope, which is so important. We do that at home, and we must also do it abroad.

I have an example from back home of what we try to do in education—it is from my constituency, rather than being a global issue, but it is still part of education. One of the most effective residents’ associations in my constituency of Strangford is the Scrabo Residents’ Association, which runs projects that build confidence among young men. In Northern Ireland we have a large number of people, including young Protestant males, who have not achieved the educational standards to get them a job or an opportunity or to give them hope. The Scrabo Residents’ Association understands their potential and breaks their cycles of unemployment, and the success stories include young people who did not do well in education going on to drive heavy goods vehicles and to work in factories and farming. Their pride in their achievements is inspiring and demonstrates the value of grassroots initiatives. That is replicated by the church groups across my constituency of Strangford, and particularly in Newtownards.

Things such as the Engage programme, the nurture units and community-led projects could be used by church groups, missions, NGOs, and those who have a particular interest and passion for what happens in Africa and across the world. I think of those missionary groups that are committed to the provision of life education—that is just one example. They educate children at primary school level and the whole way through, and get those children to the point where they can have jobs—that is where we need to be. Global education today will lead to jobs tomorrow. The ambitions of young people, such as those in that Swaziland choir, to be teachers, doctors or nurses, or to have their own businesses, start with education.

Taking a step back, we should be amazed by what education does and can do for the future. Education is not just a pathway to personal achievement; it is a collective endeavour that shapes our society and future. By emphasising the role of faith, upholding freedom of religious belief and ensuring equitable policies, we can build a world where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the opportunity to thrive. That is worth fighting for.