Our Peace, Our Future

Integrated Education Fund

Transcript

00:00In May 1998, the people of Ireland, North and South, took a collective breath. The signing

00:14of the Good Friday Agreement, and its overwhelming endorsement by both parts of Ireland, laid

00:20the foundations for peace and reconciliation in Northern Ireland. The agreement confirmed

00:26a commitment to encourage and facilitate integrated education as an essential part of the reconciliation

00:33process. But to date, no government has planned for integrated schools in Northern Ireland.

00:39Instead, it has fallen to parents and schools to make integrated education a viable choice.

00:46And they've been remarkably successful. In 1998, Northern Ireland had 43 integrated

00:53schools with some 12,000 pupils. In 2024, we grew to over 70 schools, educating more

01:01than 28,000 pupils, and numbers are rising. These schools prove that children and young

01:08people from all religious and cultural backgrounds can learn with, from, and about each other,

01:16helping dispel generations of fear and misunderstanding. And the benefits are lifelong. Research indicates

01:24that integrated students will go on to develop positive social attitudes and nurture more

01:29friendships across our traditional divide. The Integrated Education Fund has helped to

01:36establish some 28 integrated schools working alongside the Council for Integrated Education,

01:42including an additional 16,000 places since 1998. Every year we work with more parents

01:49and schools to create an integrated choice in their community. But integrated education

01:56involves more than bringing together pupils from different religious and cultural backgrounds.

02:01It means developing an inclusive ethos that permeates the entire school community and

02:07says, let's acknowledge and celebrate our differences. Nor does integration happen by

02:14accident. It is intentional, and it is challenging work. It takes commitment and courage. It

02:21requires mutual respect, regardless of belief systems, viewpoints, and identities. It asks

02:28us to consider different versions of history and acknowledge our own bias. It helps us

02:34to develop listening skills and empathy. Above all, it is an ethos that must be regularly

02:42challenged, reviewed, and renewed. We believe that integrated education can play a vital

02:49role in building a peaceful and shared society throughout Northern Ireland. It has shown

02:55that we can all work together and come to learn and celebrate our differences rather

03:00than fear them. Yes, it's still largely a grassroots and parent-led response to our

03:06divided society. But now, following new legislative commitments for government, there is increased

03:13optimism that integrated education will be actively supported, encouraged, and facilitated.

03:20The Integrated Education Act offers a springboard for further growth. It allows the demand for

03:26integrated education to be measured fairly and accurately, so that every child and young

03:32person who wants to follow this form of education can do so. It may even move us towards the

03:38day when learning together, all day, every day, is the norm.