The Integrated Education Fund has submitted a response to the Belfast City Council consultation on its draft Good Relations Strategy for the city, and would encourage members of the wider IE movement to submit their responses before the consultation closes on 11 April 2019.

The strategy has been developed to provide the framework for building better community and race relations during the period of the Belfast Agenda, which sets out a vision of the city in 2035.

The council states that the aim is to develop “A Shared City…delivering inclusive growth that leaves no one behind.”

The draft document places “Lack of integrated education and shared housing” top of the list of the biggest barriers to building better community and race relations in Belfast.

The IEF is delighted that the strategy recognises the role the education system might play in uniting communities and creating a truly shared city.  The consultation offers an opportunity to stress the widespread, cross-community support for integrated education and how integrated schools provide an exemplar of genuinely shared public service and public space.

The full strategy document can be found here.

The public is asked to take part in the consultation through an online form here.

The IEF has created some response guidelines to the consultation which can be downloaded here.

Further information can be found on the Belfast City Council Website here.