Towards a Shared Future

Press Release issued on behalf of Northern Ireland Council For Integrated Education (NICIE)

Embargoed Until Tuesday 22 March 2004

Towards A Shared Future

The Council for Integrated Education welcomed the publication of the 'Shared Future' Policy and Strategic Framework for Good Relations in Northern Ireland today.

"This is an extremely important document and comes at a crucial time in the history of our island" said Chief Executive Officer Michael Wardlow. "I hope that the policy makes the transition from paper to practice as soon as possible."

Mr Wardlow added, "It is significant that mixed housing and integrated education are specifically mentioned both in the Belfast Agreement and in the framework document.

"It would be our view that these two policy areas are central to consolidating a 'Shared Future' as both support the document's aim to encourage sharing over separation wherein "equal but separate is not an option" as well as highlighting the importance of the role of civic leadership in developing new initiatives for sharing. In this context, the existence of integrated schools bear witness to the power of the individuals to form government policy.

"I am disappointed however, that the "Shared Education" section has little new to add to existing government policy. The Department of Education has a duty to encourage and facilitate integrated education but it is still left to parents to take the lead in advocating new places.

"In short, I feel that the Department of Education has a golden opportunity to create some new and exciting opportunities for sharing, many of which were discussed in a recent ministerial working party which forms part of the proposed actions in the framework.

"There are many aspirational comments contained in the pages given over to education and it will be interesting to see how these can be made concrete and measurable given the current financial situation - something made very real to us this month in the denial of funding to Lir primary school in Ballycastle."

Ends.

For further comments or to arrange an interview with Michael Wardlow please contact Philip O'Sullivan, Press Officer at NICIE on 028 9023 6200 or 07710 882431.

Notes to the Editor

1. The project to establish a new integrated primary school in Ballycastle started in November 2001. After the formation of a Parent Steering Group, a support programme, facilitated by NICIE was undertaken. In that time the Parent Steering Group, with NICIE guidance, had to fulfil certain criteria in terms of religious and enrolment balance. A development proposal was then submitted to the Department of Education, in August 2004, for review. News that Lir integrated primary school in Ballycastle was denied funding for a second time was met with a mixture of amazement and frustration by the school's community, NICIE, and the Integrated Education Fund (IEF) in March 2005.

2. In Northern Ireland, 95% of children attend segregated schools i.e. either predominately Catholic or Protestant. The first integrated school, Lagan College, opened in 1981 with 28 pupils. There are currently 57 integrated schools in Northern Ireland, 19-second level colleges and 38 integrated primaries, educating over 17,200 pupils. This represents 5.5% of the total school going population.

3. Integrated schools are co-educational, accept children from all levels of ability and social backgrounds and practice a child centred approach to teaching methods.

4. Due to parental demand 700 pupils were turned away this year from integrated schools because there are not enough places to satisfy demand.

5. The most recent Millward Brown Ulster Omnibus Survey stated that 81% of people in Northern Ireland believe that Integrated Education is important to the peace and reconciliation process and 82% stated that they personally support Integrated Education. For more info and statistics please see NICIE website www.nicie.org.uk

6. Established in 1987, The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE) is a voluntary organisation that was set up to develop, support and promote Integrated Education in Northern Ireland. The underpinning principles of Integrated Education is that by bringing Catholic, Protestant and children of other faiths together in a shared learning environment, they can learn to understand, respect and tolerate their differences. By choosing an Integrated Education, children and their parents are contributing to the peace and reconciliation process in Northern Ireland.

7. The Integrated Education Fund (IEF) is a charitable trust established in 1992 to provide a financial foundation for the development and growth of Integrated Education in Northern Ireland.