Belfast Students Protest Teacher Bursary Eligibility Criteria

Approximately 120 current student teachers in Belfast are protesting their exclusion from a new bursary scheme that offers up to £20,000 for those starting in September 2026.

The students have proposed a tapered alternative costing £1.2 million to support those graduating in 2027, 2028, and 2029 who are training in Maths, Science, and Technology.

Phoenix Law has served pre-action correspondence to the Department of Education, threatening judicial review proceedings if the eligibility criteria for the scheme are not addressed.