Integrated Education
Encyclopedia
The Integrated education movement in Northern Ireland
is an attempt to bring together children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious backgrounds. The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), a voluntary organisation, promotes, develops and supports integrated education in Northern Ireland.
The *Integrated Education Fund (IEF) is a financial foundation for the development and growth of integrated education in Northern Ireland in response to parental demand. The IEF seeks to bridge the financial gap between starting integrated schools and securing full government funding and support.
It was established in 1992 with money from EU Structural Funds, the Department of Education NI, the Nuffield Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, as a financial foundation for the development and growth of Integrated Education. The Fund financially supports the establishment of new schools, the growth of existing schools and those schools seeking to become integrated through the transformation process. Funding is generally seed corn and projects are ‘pump primed’ with the objective of eventually securing full government funding and support.
is highly religiously segregated, with 95% of pupils attending either a maintained (Catholic) school or a controlled school (mostly Protestant, but open to all faiths and none), both funded by the state- by varying amounts. Teaching a balanced view of some subjects (especially history) is difficult in these conditions. The churches in Northern Ireland have not been involved in the development of integrated schools. The schools have been established by the voluntary efforts of parents.
The first integrated school, Lagan College
, was established in Belfast
in 1981 by the campaigning parent group All Children Together. In 1985, three more integrated schools opened in Belfast offering parents in the city an alternative to the existing segregated
schools.
Initially, such schools met with considerable opposition from certain local politicians who were angry at an alleged favouritism in funding being shown to them by the Government. They felt the state controlled school system should be regarded as the true model of integration and that only the existence of maintained schools preserved a culture of segregation in Northern Ireland
.
Father Denis Faul
criticised integrated education, insisting that Catholic parents were required by Canon law
to send their children to Catholic schools and also claimed the schools were a "dirty political trick" inspired by the British Government.
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
is an attempt to bring together children, parents and teachers from both Roman Catholic and Protestant traditions: the aim being to provide a balanced education, while allowing the opportunity to understand and respect all cultural and religious backgrounds. The Northern Ireland Council for Integrated Education (NICIE), a voluntary organisation, promotes, develops and supports integrated education in Northern Ireland.
The *Integrated Education Fund (IEF) is a financial foundation for the development and growth of integrated education in Northern Ireland in response to parental demand. The IEF seeks to bridge the financial gap between starting integrated schools and securing full government funding and support.
It was established in 1992 with money from EU Structural Funds, the Department of Education NI, the Nuffield Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, as a financial foundation for the development and growth of Integrated Education. The Fund financially supports the establishment of new schools, the growth of existing schools and those schools seeking to become integrated through the transformation process. Funding is generally seed corn and projects are ‘pump primed’ with the objective of eventually securing full government funding and support.
Educational background
Education in Northern IrelandEducation in Northern Ireland
Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales...
is highly religiously segregated, with 95% of pupils attending either a maintained (Catholic) school or a controlled school (mostly Protestant, but open to all faiths and none), both funded by the state- by varying amounts. Teaching a balanced view of some subjects (especially history) is difficult in these conditions. The churches in Northern Ireland have not been involved in the development of integrated schools. The schools have been established by the voluntary efforts of parents.
The first integrated school, Lagan College
Lagan College
Lagan College is an integrated secondary school in Belfast, Northern Ireland. It was formed in 1981 as the first integrated school in Northern Ireland and contains students of mainly Roman Catholic and Protestant faiths, however students from other faiths also attend the school.The school is...
, was established in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
in 1981 by the campaigning parent group All Children Together. In 1985, three more integrated schools opened in Belfast offering parents in the city an alternative to the existing segregated
Religious segregation
Religious segregation is the separation of people according to their religion. The term has been applied to cases of religious-based segregation occurring as a social phenomenon, as well as to segregation arising from laws, whether explicit or implicit....
schools.
Current situation
There are currently 61 integrated schools comprising 20 second-level colleges, and 41 primary schools. In addition, there are 19 integrated nursery schools, most of which are linked to primary schools.Initially, such schools met with considerable opposition from certain local politicians who were angry at an alleged favouritism in funding being shown to them by the Government. They felt the state controlled school system should be regarded as the true model of integration and that only the existence of maintained schools preserved a culture of segregation in Northern Ireland
Segregation in Northern Ireland
Segregation in Northern Ireland is a long-running issue in the political and social history of Northern Ireland. The segregation involves Northern Ireland's two main communities – its nationalist/republican community and its unionist/loyalist community...
.
Perceptions
Integrated schools are sometimes criticised as being "middle-class" or accused of "social engineering"Father Denis Faul
Denis Faul
The Right Rev. Monsignor Denis O'Beirne Faul , was an Irish Roman Catholic priest and civil rights campaigner best known for his role in the 1981 Irish Hunger Strike...
criticised integrated education, insisting that Catholic parents were required by Canon law
Canon law
Canon law is the body of laws & regulations made or adopted by ecclesiastical authority, for the government of the Christian organization and its members. It is the internal ecclesiastical law governing the Catholic Church , the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox churches, and the Anglican Communion of...
to send their children to Catholic schools and also claimed the schools were a "dirty political trick" inspired by the British Government.
See also
- List of integrated schools in Northern Ireland
- Education in Northern IrelandEducation in Northern IrelandEducation in Northern Ireland differs slightly from systems used elsewhere in the United Kingdom, though it is more similar to that used in England and Wales than it is to Scotland. A child's age on 1 July determines the point of entry into the relevant stage of education unlike England and Wales...