Sharing Education Programme, Northern Ireland

The Reconciliation and Human Rights Programme in Northern Ireland supports work to enable collaboration and sharing amongst the 95% of school children who are educated in religiously segregated provision. The Sharing Education Programme (SEP), which is jointly funded by the International Fund for Ireland, and managed by the Queens’ University of Belfast, is one of a number of initiatives supported to promote reconciliation amongst school communities including teachers, governors, pupils and parents. The £3.6m programme encourages schools to find new models of ‘sharing education’ which offer additional educational and academic opportunities for students, and in doing so provide opportunities to build greater cross community engagement and reconciliation. SEP involves 12 inter-sectoral partnerships, representing more than 60 schools and well over 2500 pupils are participating in shared classes with pupils from different community backgrounds, some for the very first time, SEP is entering into its final year of funding and the five partnerships operating in North West corner of Northern Ireland held a celebratory event at which they produced a series of short films demonstrating their work in action.

Photo:
Lumen Christi College, Derry

Lumen Christi College shares its science specialism by hosting mixed Primary science classes with specialist teachers and providing a range of equipment many of the pupils and teachers would not otherwise have access to. Pictured are pupils from Nazareth House Primary School and The Model Primary School enjoying a science class with Miss Amanda King of Lumen Christi College.