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…)

Most areas offer summer activities for youngsters; a godsend to bored children and busy parents. They are frequently area-based regarding local councils, open to all children whatever their background, whilst some go a step further and declare themselves to be actively furthering community relations through sport, drama or whatever.  (more…)

By Baroness May Blood, as seen in the Belfast Telegraph, Monday 25th July 2011

The Troubles left many people in Northern Ireland with little to lose; and the peace process should have brought many gains. In most places it has done, but there is a hefty proportion of people who feel little material benefit from political progress and now, with the recession, they feel little hope for the future.

I can list some of the problems we now face: low academic achievement, especially among young Protestant males; discontent and in some cases anger and violence. It was so sad to see the eruption of rioting among young people who should be facing their adult years with hope and confidence. (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…)

By Malachi O’Doherty

The findings of the Mori poll into attitudes to Integrated Education are astonishing.The easy assumption about how Northern Ireland works is that most people prefer things as they are. Parents choose the schools to send their children to, and if their choice is sectarian, then the presumption must be that they are sectarian, that a priority in education is that children should be raised uncontaminated by the influence of the Other. (more…)