Debrief

So it seems area-based planning is well under way with final submissions from the Education Boards and the CCMS due at the end of June; the Minister for Education is  asking for “realistic and creative solutions” in planning the future delivery of schooling.  At the moment the requirement is to “Anticipate future need by sector using robust and verifiable data.” and to ” Identify under or over provision by sector in the area …” – so it seems the Programme for Government’s promotion of shared education is not high on the agenda. However the Department’s Terms of Reference document does also suggest  cross-sectoral sharing should be considered, and the ELBs are required to engage with the integrated sector in looking at meeting future needs.  Certainly there will be submissions from the integrated education movement. (more…)

By Tony Macauley

The latest MORI poll into attitudes to integrated education, once again finds that the vast majority, around 9 out of 10 people, are in favour of integrated education in Northern Ireland. It’s no big surprise. Similar polls have shown the same result, consistently for many years now. (more…)