Scope Articles

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Is Northern Ireland ready to go back to school?

17 Aug 2020

The local R number is above one, which is a potential disaster given schools are supposed to open their doors in a week or two. Renewed restrictions elsewhere could be needed.

End the dithering: time to fix social care

14 Aug 2020

When the history of the pandemic comes to be written the most disturbing chapter of all will be devoted to the plight of the old and the vulnerable.

Education relies on pupils’ mental health

11 Aug 2020

Local children will soon be back at school. Catching up on education is vital – but so is pupils’ mental health. Scope looks at a new report from Barnardo’s NI that gathered evidence from teachers and other education staff.

The impact of COVID-19 and educational attainment in NI

7 Aug 2020

Sean McKay, former Director of Audit at the NI Audit Office argues that the status quo is not an option for our education system when schools return.

The economy: the long, hard road ahead

7 Aug 2020

It will take Northern Ireland’s economy between four and five years to recover from the Covid-19 economic crash, according to an Ulster University report released this week.

Covid-19 and our young people: Don’t. Look. Down.

Don't. Look. Down. Oblivion - image by by Carlos Delgado; CC-BY-SA

5 Aug 2020

The pandemic has highlighted many economic weaknesses. A terrible downturn is inevitable, and young people will be worst affected. Throw in other factors, like climate change, and new thinking seems necessary.

Why Boris needs to join up the dots on obesity

31 Jul 2020

It may have been a giant leap for Boris Johnson, but his plans to help us lose weight are but a small step in the battle against obesity.

Staycations, beaches – and millions of pieces of plastic

A seal tangled with plastic near Rathlin Island

28 Jul 2020

Northern Ireland’s coastlines are beautiful. They are also strewn with litter. We all need to think about plastic waste.

On Kindness: rediscovering human nature

24 Jul 2020

What if the spontaneous outbreaks of kindness which have been such a feature of the pandemic were shown to be a true reflection of the human condition, not just a response to a crisis?

Should Northern Irish children sit transfer tests this year?

21 Jul 2020

Covid-19 has left children out of school. Parents are petitioning for academic selection to be significantly delayed - or simply cancelled - for the coming year.

Facemasks: the facts

17 Jul 2020

The controversy over facemasks is emblematic of the dangerously shambolic government response to Covid-19. And it's not just public health that’s at stake.