Integrated and shared education: Sinn Féin, the Democratic Unionist Party and educational change in Northern Ireland

Ulf Hansson,Stephen Roulston

doi:10.1177/1478210320965060

Ulf Hansson, Stephen Roulston

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/1478210320965060

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Abstract

There is a considerable literature concerning divided societies and the role of education in such societies. In the case of Northern Ireland, education is characterised by a largely separate system of education for its two main communities. There is also a considerably smaller integrated schools sector, where the two communities learn together. A more recent intervention is that of shared education where separate schools are retained but shared classes and other opportunities for sharing are offered. Politically, there has never been extensive support for integrated education, particularly from the two largest parties in the Assembly and power-sharing Executive: The Democratic Unionist Party and Sinn Féin. While not active proponents of integrated education the two parties have embraced shared education and with their own interpretation of its implementation. The introduction of shared education can be seen as a triumph as the two main parties in the coalition have agreed on a policy designed to bridge the gap in education. An alternative view is that shared education is the least-worst option for these two parties but may do little to advance reconciliation.

Highlights

Guelke (2012: 30) has described divided societies as places where ‘conflict exists along a wellentrenched fault line that is recurrent and endemic and that contains the potential for violence between the segments’
Birrell and Heenan refer to impasse after impasse in education policy due to the lack of a consensual policy style, which has worked to block the implementation of policies in education
They note that this is pertinent in the context of education policies where, rather than a consensual policy, the decision-making process has been characterised by a culture of top-down unilateral decisions by minsters and policies characterised by political stalemate and often based on the communal divisions of Northern Ireland

Summary

Introduction

Guelke (2012: 30) has described divided societies as places where ‘conflict exists along a wellentrenched fault line that is recurrent and endemic and that contains the potential for violence between the segments’. Keywords Northern Ireland, segregated schools, shared education, integrated education, DUP, Sinn F ein, power sharing

Results

Conclusion