‘Our Children – Their Education’ Ballynahinch Event – 26/01/2012
The Millbrook Lodge Hotel in Ballynahinch provided the venue for the second in our series of community engagement events. The Integrated Education Fund and Rural Community Network partnered locally with the East Down Rural Community Network to host a discussion on education for the Down District Council area.
After a short video presentation from the IEF, Tom Walsh from the SEELB took the stage, to put the current challenges faced by the education system in context (See below for some of the emerging themes from the evening).
A passionate panel debate was the centre of the evening, with Paul Logan (Principal Down HS), Terry Murphy (CCMS), Tony McCusker (Rural Development Council), and Tracey Quail (Downpatrick Chamber of Commerce), taking a variety of questions from the floor. While everyone on the panel accepted that our education system is not perfect and that the political and economic context is challenging, the conversation was a positive one, with people engaging around the crucial questions on how we provide quality education to all.
After getting to know each other at their tables, guests discussed visions for shared education, the need to research ways to increase the number of shared campuses, and the question of how we generate trust and build relationships between the education sectors. Access to education was raised, as was the curriculum and academic selection. A wide range of schools, community groups, educationalists and parents were involved in these conversations, and there was plenty of political representation from guests such as Jim Shannon MP (DUP), Caitriona Ruane MLA (SF) and David McNarry MLA (UUP) as well as several members of Down District Council.
The chair of the evening, BBC’s William Crawley, issued a call to action: “If you really believe what you just said – that this system is broken – then do something about it”. It is hoped that practical local discussions will emerge from this event in the next few months.
The next event of the Community Engagement in Education Series is being held in Castlederg on 23rd February. Please see click here for further details on how to register.
